Top diplomat optimistic on ties

After a first honeymoon decade and a second of stable ties, the relationship between China and the Republic of Korea should progress by leaps and bounds in the third decade since diplomatic ties were established 21 years ago, ROK Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se said recently in Seoul.

He made the remarks during an hour and a half long interview with Chinese media, shortly before ROK President Park Geun-hye's visit to China. He said Park's meeting with President Xi Jinping will flesh out the strategic cooperative partnership between the two and guide bilateral relations over the next five to 20 years.

The two countries will comprehensively strengthen plans for strategic communication, economic ties and people-to-people exchanges during the meeting between their presidents. Cooperation in politics, defense and diplomacy will also be expanded, Yun said.

He said bilateral trade has been growing astoundingly, and the exchange of visitors between the two countries — 7 million last year — is also extraordinary. Bilateral trade hit $256.3 billion last year, nearly 50 times that of 1992. A large business delegation will accompany Park.

Yun Byung-se

Asked under what principles the new ROK administration carries out its China policies, he said the first one is "trustpolitik", which characterizes its overall foreign policy. The second is understanding and respect. The two countries have much in common in history and culture. But they also have different development experiences, which each should understand and respect. What's more, China and the ROK should contribute to the prosperity of Asia and the world, Yun said.

The relationship between the ROK and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is unstable and uncertain; a recent arrangement to resume talks was cancelled for a range of reasons. The international community, including the DPRK, the ROK and China, has a lot to do to improve the situation on the Korean Peninsula, Yun said.

He said the ROK has initiated the "Korean Peninsula trust process", with the core aim of building trust between the North and the South. The cycle of confrontation and distrust between the two should be terminated.

He maintained the DPRK should make a strategic choice to become a responsible member of the international community. Park's government is facing many challenges, but it will stick to its principles as well as keep the window open for dialogue with the DPRK.

Yun said China has made a lot of efforts to maintain peace and stability in the region, under the principle of denuclearization of the peninsula and solving problems through dialogue. He said the DPRK should honor the Sept 19 joint statement, which China helped draft in 2005, and related UN resolutions, and return to the Six-Party Talks.

He said it is encouraging that Xi and US President Barack Obama made their views clear on denuclearization of the peninsula at their recent summit. He expected China to make more efforts to push for the resumption of the Six-Party Talks.

Asked how his country views the relations between its close neighbor China and its ally the US, Yun said the ROK is positive about the achievements the two leaders made at the summit.

The "new type of great power relations", put forward by President Xi, will not only be conducive to building harmonious and constructive relations between China and the US, but also contribute to regional peace and stability. China and the US are competitive in some areas, but are cooperative in more areas, he said. Seoul maintains good relations with both countries, and harmonious and constructive ties between China and the US will benefit the ROK too.