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President Hu: China supports eventual Korean unification
(AP)
Updated: 2005-11-18 00:51
Chinese President Hu Jintao pledged his support for eventual reunification of
the two Koreas in a speech to South Korea's parliament on Thursday and said
China's relations with the South were "entering their best period ever."
In an upbeat speech on his second day of a state visit, Hu said the two
countries -- former enemies who established relations just in 1992 -- should
cooperate to foster stability in northeast Asia.
"As always, China supports North-South Korean dialogue to improve ties and
build trust between the two sides, leading to eventual independent
reunification," he told the National Assembly, drawing strong applause from
lawmakers.
"Bilateral relations are now entering their best period ever," he said.
Hu also said China would continue to work ceaselessly to
solve the problem of nuclear weapons on the Korean peninsula, pointedly not identifying the North as the source of a
three-year-old impasse over its nuclear ambitions.
"Solving the nuclear issue on the peninsula peacefully through dialogue is
the most realistic and proper approach and China will continue to make
unstinting efforts in this regard," Hu said.
Hu's state visit to South Korea -- the first by a Chinese president since
1995 -- underlined the improvement in relations between the two countries, which
were enemies after China fought on the side of the North in the 1950-53 Korean
War.
China became South Korea's largest trading partner last
year, with two-way trade totaling $79.35 billion, up 39.2 percent from the year
before, according to South Korean government figures. Hu described South Korea
as China's third biggest commerce partner.
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