Premier Wen Jiabao met in Kuala Lumpur Monday with South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun on the all-round partnership cooperation between the two countries.

During the meeting, Wen said that the relations of the all-round partnership cooperation between China and South Korea are developing smoothly, with the two sides having strategically clarified the direction for continued development of bilateral relations between the two countries.

Pushing the Sino-South Korean all-round partnership relations to forge ahead will benefit the two countries and the two peoples, and is also conducive to peace, stability and prosperity of the region, Wen said.

The Chinese side, fully confident of the development of relations with South Korea, is willing to continue to work together with the South Korean side in the following three aspects:

-- First, enhancing high-level exchanges and often swapping views and coordinating stances over bilateral ties and significant international issues of common concern;

-- Second, expanding and deepening trade and economic cooperation, implementing the goal increasing bilateral trade volume between China and South Korea to US$200 billion by 2012, which has been decided by the two sides through consultations;

-- Third, strengthening exchanges in culture and other fields between the two countries.

Roh agreed with Wen's proposals, saying that the Sino-South Korean ties have registered a rapid development over recent years. The goal to increase bilateral trade volume to US$100 billion by 2008 has been realized three years ahead of schedule, he noted, China's social stability and economic development have also provided opportunities to South Korea.

South Korea and China both belong to a cultural circle, and South Korea is deeply influenced by the Chinese culture and attaches importance to draw nourishment from it, he noted.

Each year, there are some three million South Korean nationals going to China for tourism and business purposes, he added, saying that South Korea will, together with the Chinese side, push for further development of the bilateral relations.

The two leaders also exchanged views on the nuclear issue of the Korean peninsula. Wen expressed his hope that the parties involved would be flexible and sincere in implementing their respective political promises on the basis of "promise-to-promise, action-to-action" principle, so as to push the six-party talks to proceed forward and make a headway.

Roh agreed with the Chinese side, expressing thanks for the role it has played in pushing forward the six-party talks. He spoke highly of the Chinese foreign policy of equality, mutual benefit and good neighborhood, saying that the policy is of significance to peace and stability in Asia, and sets a fine example for the world order in the 21st century.

Wen arrived in Kuala Lumpur Sunday to attend East-Asian summits and pay an official visit to Malaysia.

(Xinhua News Agency December 12, 2005)