China, S. Korea pledge to lift strategic cooperative partnership to new high

Zhang Dejiang (L), chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress, shakes hands with South Korea's Speaker of the National Assembly Chung Ui-hwa, in Seoul, South Korea, June 11, 2015. [Photo/Xinhua]

SEOUL - China and South Korea, on the occasion of top Chinese legislator Zhang Dejiang's ongoing visit to South Korea, have pledged to lift the strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries to a new high through concerted efforts by both sides.

Zhang is currently on an official good-will visit to South Korea from Thursday to Saturday, which marks his first visit to the country since he took office in 2013.

During the visit, Zhang has met with South Korean President Park Geun-hye, Speaker of the National Assembly Chung Ui-hwa and key political party leaders, with both sides pledging to further expand the all-round practical cooperation between their two countries.

ALL-ROUND PRACTICAL COOPERATION

China-South Korea relations are currently at an all-time high as leaders of the two countries have made a successful exchange of visits and reached important consensus, said Zhang, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), when meeting with Park on Thursday.

The two countries have enhanced political trust, increased trade and economic cooperation and deepened people-to-people exchanges between them, he said, adding that in 2014, the two-way trade reached nearly 300 billion U.S. dollars and the number of mutual visits between the two countries exceeded 10 million.

The China-South Korea free trade agreement (FTA) officially signed on June 1 will also usher in broader prospects for bilateral cooperation, Zhang said.

He said China is ready to make joint efforts with South Korea to step up friendly exchanges at all levels, coordinate macroeconomic polices and development strategies, and push forward all-round practical cooperation.

China is also willing to work with South Korea to realize common development, maintain regional peace, reinvigorate Asia and strive for a more prosperous world, and lift the China-South Korea strategic cooperative partnership to a new high, Zhang said.

For her part, Park said that the signing of the FTA, which laid the ground for future development, is a catalyst for deepening bilateral trade and economic cooperation.

The South Korean side will continue to expand cooperation with China in all areas, boost the strategic cooperative partnership to higher levels and promote peace and stability in Northeast Asia, she said.