Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan yesterday met his South Korean counterpart Kim Jang-soo to discuss bilateral ties.

 

Cao said that relations between the two countries had developed rapidly since diplomatic links were established 15 years ago. He said that ties between the two armed forces had also grown steadily.

 

Cao, also vice chairman of the Central Military Commission and a state councilor, said China was ready to work with South Korea to expand exchanges and deepen bilateral cooperation so as to take relations between the two countries and their armed forces to a higher level. 

 

He also briefed his guest on the government's stance on the Korean nuclear issue and the Taiwan question.

 

Kim said the steady development of South Korea-China relations has played an important role in maintaining and furthering peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia.

 

He said South Korea will continue to support the one-China policy and tighten the relationship between the two countries and their armed forces.

 

Kim also spoke highly of China's constructive role in moving forward the process of the six-party talks aimed at resolving the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula.

 

The two sides decided to set up hotlines between their navies and air forces by the end of the year, South Korea's Yonhap news agency cited Defense Ministry officials as saying.

 

The two ministers also agreed to consider staging joint rescue drills in September, when a South Korean vessel carrying naval cadets visits Shanghai on a training mission, Yonhap said.

 

Kim began his visit to China on Monday at Cao's invitation.

 

(China Daily April 25, 2007)