Chairman Jia Qinglin of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) meets with ROK National Assembly Speaker Kim Won-ki in the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing

On January 10, 2006, Chairman Jia Qinglin of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) met with Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Kim Won-ki in the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse.

Jia made positive comments on bilateral relations. He said that both countries are close neighbors geographically and share similar cultures and connected feelings. The history of friendship goes back to ancient times. Last year President Hu Jintao paid a successful visit to the ROK and jointly defined the development direction for future bilateral relations and a range of concrete objectives with President Roh Moo-hyun, which has elevated bilateral comprehensive cooperative partnership to a new level. Recent years have witnessed rapid development of bilateral relations, frequent exchanges of high-level visits and steady and fast development of economic and trade relations with exchanges and cooperation in the areas of culture, education, science & technology and personnel exchanges kept closer. Both sides have also maintained close communication and cooperation in international and regional affairs. China would like to make joint efforts with the ROK to continuously build up understanding and trust, implement various consensuses reached and targets defined by both sides and push bilateral comprehensive cooperative partnership for steady development.

Jia briefed the guest on the CPPCC. He said that the CPPCC shares traditional friendly relations with the ROK National Assembly. The CPPCC would like to further strengthen exchanges and cooperation with the ROK National Assembly at all levels and in various sectors on the existing basis and hopes that both sides can learn from each other's successful experience in national economic and social development and make due contributions to the development of bilateral relations and the friendship between both peoples.

Kim expressed congratulations on China's achievements in economic and social development. He said that since the establishment of diplomatic ties 13 years ago, the frequent high-level exchanges have strongly pushed for rapid progress of bilateral relations. The official establishment of the regular exchange mechanism between the ROK National Assembly and the National People's Congress (NPC) of China marks that the cooperation between the two legislatures has entered a new stage. The ROK National Assembly also hopes to further strengthen exchanges and cooperation with the CPPCC.