On July 1, 2014, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a briefing for Chinese and foreign media. Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin briefed on President Xi Jinping's state visit to the Republic of Korea (ROK).
Liu Zhenmin introduced that the ROK is an important neighboring country of China and also a country with international and regional influence. Over the 22 years since the establishment of the diplomatic relationship between China and the ROK, the bilateral relations have developed rapidly and comprehensively. The two sides have established the strategic cooperative partnership and become important cooperative partners in various fields. China is the ROK's largest trading partner, largest export market, largest source country of imports, and largest destination country of overseas investment. The ROK is China's third largest trading partner and the fifth largest source country of foreign investment. The two countries are the largest overseas tourist destination and the largest source country of foreign students for each other. At present, both China and the ROK are at the critical stage of great development. With a high-level consensus on deepening the strategic cooperative partnership, both sides look forward to further developing all-round, multi-level exchanges and cooperation, and both hope for peace and stability in the region. China attaches great importance to the China-ROK relations, and is willing to maintain high-level contacts, promote strategic mutual trust, deepen practical cooperation, enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and strengthen cooperation in international and regional affairs with the ROK, so as to continuously push forward the development of the China-ROK relations.
Liu Zhenmin said that it is President Xi Jinping's first visit to the ROK after he took office. President Xi Jinping will hold talks with President Park Geun-hye, meet with Speaker of the National Assembly of the ROK Chung Ui-hwa and Prime Minister Jung Hong-won, deliver a speech, and attend economic and trade events. President Xi Jinping and the ROK leaders will comprehensively summarize the basic experience and important achievements of the development of the China-ROK relations, make future plans for the China-ROK relations from a strategic and overall perspective, make clear the development direction, major tasks and basic ideas of bilateral relations, and exchange views on enhancing political mutual trust, promoting exchanges and cooperation in various fields, strengthening cooperation on international and regional affairs, and maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, so as to further enrich the connotations of the China-ROK strategic cooperative partnership. The two sides will issue joint documents and sign a series of cooperative documents covering economy and trade, finance, environment, and consular affairs.
Liu Zhenmin said that he believes President Xi Jinping's visit will surely and comprehensively enhance the China-ROK relations, greatly promote bilateral cooperation in various fields, provide greater assistance for their own development, and make greater contributions to promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the region and the world at large.
