Since taking office in late February, Roh Moo-hyun has pushed his "summit diplomacy" by making foreign trips to the United States, Japan and China during which he met with president George W. Bush, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and President Hu Jintao, respectively. He also plans to make a visit to Russia next month.

It's obvious that the new president hopes to strengthen South Korean relations with its traditional allies and main neighboring countries through such trips.

Unlike the two previous trips, Roh's China visit did not arouse much controversy in the political field. There is apparently a consensus that Sino-South Korean ties should be brought to a higher level in light of the current situation.

And Roh returned from China with abundant fruit in many aspects.

After Roh Moo-hyun met with China's leaders, the two sides issued a significant joint statement on bilateral ties and issues of mutual concern.

The statement declared that it is time for Seoul and Beijing to set up an "all-round cooperative partnership," which upgraded the "Facing 21st Centaury Cooperative Partnership" forged during former President Kim Dae-jung's Beijing visit in 1998.

"The new declaration means that the two countries will closely cooperate in all aspects beyond the economic field in future," explained Roh.

One of Roh's important goals in his China visit is to enlarge and deepen the exchanges the two countries have had during the 11 years since they established diplomatic ties.

In 2002, the total trade volume between China and South Korea reached some US$44.07 billion, an eight-fold increase compared with that in 1992. And during their summit meeting on Monday, Roh Moo-hyun and Hu Jintao set an "encouraging" and "practical" new goal: to push the annual bilateral trade volume to US$100 billion in five years.

Roh also served as a pioneer of South Korean enterprises for he took the chance to help them to invest in China, the biggest destination of the country's investment.

China endorsed the application of Seoul to open a Consulate General in Chengdu, Sichuan Province in western China, which can assist South Korean investors to take part in the project called the Great West Development Project for China's underdeveloped inland areas.

The two sides also discussed possible cooperation in 3G technology, science and technology, energy, environment and finance fields.

"If we prepare ourselves enough, China's opening and growth will provide us with more markets, more opportunities and advance the age of peace and prosperity in Northeast Asia," said Roh in a speech upon his arrival.

"Another important point of Roh's China visit is the meeting between him and Chinese President Hu Jintao, which is the first contact between the two new leaders who will lead their respective country in the coming five years," a statement of South Korean Presidential Office said.

Roh also held talks with Chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress (NPC) Wu Bangguo, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Vice-President Zeng Qinghong, which helped set up further mutual trust between the two countries.

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s nuclear issue was also a main topic between South Korea and China during Roh's visit. The two countries reiterated that the nuclear dispute should be settled peacefully through talks and a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula should be maintained, according to the joint statement.

The two sides also hope the Beijing talks held in April among the United States, the DPRK and China can be resumed again.

Before Roh's departure for Beijing, he said one of his goals of the China visit is to seek Beijing's cooperation on the DPRK nuclear issue. "I think I make it through my stay there," said Roh.

(Xinhua News Agency July 11, 2003)