President Hu Jintao said in Beijing Monday that the relationship between China and South Korea has seen rapid development over the past year.

 

China is ready to join efforts with South Korea in the new year to upgrade the all-round cooperative partnership between the two countries to a new height, he said.

 

Hu made the remarks during a meeting with Kim One-ki, speaker of the National Assembly of South Korea, who is now in Beijing for a visit to China from January 8 to 14.

 

The all-round cooperative partnership between two nations has recorded a rapid growth over the past year as bilateral cooperation in such areas as politics, economy, trade, culture, education, science, technology and tourism showed good momentum, he said.

 

Hu said the two countries have maintained sound coordination and cooperation on such major issues as the nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula, regional cooperation and the reform of the United Nations Security Council.

 

The heads of state of the two countries have summed up the results and experience and set the direction and goals of the growth of bilateral relations, Hu said. This added a new impetus to the all-round cooperative partnership of the two countries.

 

In the new year of 2006, Hu said, China is ready to join efforts with South Korea to earnestly implement the consensus reached by the heads of state and the agreements signed by the two countries.

 

Hu also made positive comments about the contributions that the legislatures of the two countries made to the growth of bilateral relations. He extended congratulations on the establishment of a regular exchange mechanism between the legislatures of the two countries.

 

Kim said that since South Korea and China forged diplomatic ties 13 years ago, the friendly relations between the two countries have been growing at an unprecedented pace. Trade volume between the two countries has exceeded US$100 billion every year, he noted. And the number of travelers across the borders of the two countries also set a record in growth rate.

 

South Korea is fully satisfied with the development of bilateral relations and is ready to work with China to further advance the all-round development of bilateral relations, Kim said.

 

Kim spoke highly of China's achievement in economic growth and its contribution to the prosperity and development of the Northeast Asia region.

 

Kim also voiced his joy for the establishment of the regular exchange mechanism between the South Korean National Assembly and the Chinese National People's Congress. He also expressed the willingness to step up friendly exchanges and cooperation between the two legislatures at all levels so as to add a strong impetus to the expansion of bilateral relations.

 

(Xinhua News Agency January 10, 2006)