Lee Hae-chan, the Republic of Korea (ROK)'s special envoy to China, said yesterday that his country will continue to seek a peaceful resolution of the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula.
Lee, special envoy of president-elect Roh Moo-hyun, arrived in Beijing yesterday and held meetings with Chinese Vice-Premier Qian Qichen and Vice-Foreign Minister Wang Yi, exchanging views on bilateral relations and the situation on the peninsula.
Qian said a good cooperative partnership between China and the ROK is vital to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, according to a Chinese Foreign Ministry official.
China also welcomed Roh's announcement that he will continue the policy of reconciliation and cooperation with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), which was proposed and implemented by retiring President Kim Dae-jung.
Lee briefed Qian on the internal and external policies of the ROK's incoming government, saying the president-elect attaches great importance to promoting the ROK-China partnership.
Qian said that a stable and peaceful peninsula benefits both the ROK and the DPRK and would be supported by neighboring countries.
China hopes to see improvements in and a relaxation of inter-Korea relations, Qian said.
Lee said his country is willing to play an active role to peacefully resolve the stalemate.
President-elect Roh announced plans in late January to dispatch high-level delegations led by Lee Hae-chan and Chough Soon-hyung to China and Russia before his inauguration on February 25 to map out a joint strategy to peacefully address the nuclear issue.
(China Daily February 13, 2003)
