S. Korean and Chinese leaders agree on new start in relations

By Lim Chang-won Posted : December 15, 2017, 09:38 Updated : December 15, 2017, 09:38

[Yonhap Photo]


The leaders of South Korea and China agreed on a new start in relations soured by a dispute over the deployment of a U.S. missile shield, opening the way for the resumption of active economic cooperation and delayed joint projects in various fields.

At his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, President Moon Jae-in defined the two countries as "companions by destiny" which shared their long history and culture, calling for a quick turnaround in relations, based on mutual respect, the president's office said.

Moon suggested the missile dispute could be turned into an opportunity for the two countries to walk the path of co-prosperity.  In October, Seoul and Bejing announced an agreement to put relations back to normal, but Beijing has been slow to ease trade and other restrictions.

Xi repeated China's position and concern about the missile shield and wanted South Korea to "adequately" address it.  "It takes a long time to recover from frustration, but now our bilateral relations are improving at a fast pace," Xi was quoted as saying.

The Chinese leader called for stable relations which he said should be managed carefully to prevent a similar row.

The two leaders agreed on no war on the Korean peninsula, a firm principle on denuclearization, a peaceful settlement of all issues through dialogue and negotiations and improvement in inter-Korean relations that would help resolve such issues.

There was no clear roadmap on how to stop the development of North Korean nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, but the leaders agreed to set up a new hotline for close communication and dialogue.

The two countries signed a memorandum of understanding to start negotiations on expanding their free trade agreement, which took effect in 2015, to include the service and financial sectors.

Moon and Xi agreed on cooperation in the fields of environment, health, renewable energy and new technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence while pushing for future-oriented projects related the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Moon invited Xi to South Korea's first Winter Olympics in February. Xi promised to positively consider the offer or send a high-level delegation.
 
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