The 1st China-ROK High-Level Security and Economic Cooperation Conference was held on December 19th, 2019 in Seoul, Republic of Korea (ROK). 

At the conference

Nearly 30 experts and scholars on diplomacy, security and economic fields of the two countries made exchanges on "China-ROK cooperation on stabilization of world economy and trade" and "The roles of China and ROK in the new situation of the Korean Peninsula". 

Kim Han Kyu, President of the 21st Century ROK-China Exchange Association, speaks at the conference.

Ambassador Qiu Guohong speaks at the conference.

Ambassador Li Qiangmin, Secretary General Designate of the Charhar Institute, Ambassador Ning Fukui, Chief Researcher of the Korean Peninsula Research Center of the Charhar Institute, and Zhang Zhongyi, Deputy Secretary General of the Charhar Institute and Representative of the Charhar Institute in Seoul attended the conference.         

Ambassador Li Qiangmin, Secretary General designate of the Charhar Institute, speaks at the conference.

Ambassador Ning Fukui, Chief Researcher of the Korean Peninsula Research Center of the Charhar Institute, speaks at the conference.

The conference was co-sponsored by the Chinese Embassy in ROK and the 21^st Century ROK-China Exchange Association.

Qiu Guohong, Chinese ambassador to ROK, said in his speech that the current world situation is complex and changeable. Unilateralism and trade protectionism are rampant, and both China and ROK are facing the challenges of how to make better development.           

Qiu Guohong said that since 2019, China and ROK have had frequent high-level interaction, strengthened strategic communication and revitalized exchanges and cooperation in various fields.

Qiu said at the G20 Summit in Osaka, President Xi Jinping met with Moon Jae-in. Two weeks ago, Wang Yi, State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, visited the ROK which has been the first time for a high-level Chinese leader visited the ROK in the past five years. Wang met with ROK’s President Moon Jae-in and ROK’s Foreign Minister Kyung-wha Kang during the visit. And just a few days later, President Moon Jae-in would visit China to meet with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang.

Qiu said all these indicated that China-ROK relations are ushering in new development opportunities. China is willing to work with ROK to continuously deepen exchanges and cooperation in various fields to better benefit the two countries and their peoples.           

Qiu added that in recent years, although the situation on the Korean Peninsula has yet shown signs of tightening again, it is not easy to ease the momentum of mutual dialogue. We hope that all parties will seize the opportunity, focus on the fundamental goal of denuclearization and lasting peace on the peninsula, and help push forward the peace cause of the Korean Peninsula. China is willing to strengthen strategic communication and coordination with ROK on the Korean Peninsula affairs, and jointly play a constructive role in maintaining regional peace and stability and promoting regional prosperity and development.           

He also said that China firmly upholds multilateralism and the free trade system, the international system with the UN as the core, and the international order based on international law. China and ROK, as important neighbors, have close ties and strong complementarities in social and economic development. China is willing to work with all the other countries in the world, including the ROK, to promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, protect the multilateral trading system and better safeguard our common interests.     

Kim Han Kyu, President of the 21st Century ROK-China Exchange Association, said that due to the rampant trade protectionism, both ROK and China have been affected, and hoped that the China-US trade disputes can be properly handled. At the same time, the nuclear issue of North Korea cannot be postponed any longer. North Korea and the United States should solve it through consultation and dialogue. He hoped that China, which has good relations with both the north and the south of the Korean Peninsula, will play a creative and constructive role.           

In view of the current economic cooperation program between China and ROK, experts from the two countries believe that there is still a huge potential and space for cooperation between China and ROK. We should accelerate the second stage negotiation of the FTA between China and ROK, accelerate the negotiation of the FTA between China, Japan and ROK, and make practical progress on the projects upon which agreements have been reached.           

Experts from both sides also exchanged candid views on the DPRK nuclear issue, the DPRK-US relations and the establishment of the peace mechanism on the Peninsula, and believed that all parties should make efforts to prevent the situation of dialogue and consultation from reversing. Experts from the two countries reviewed the development of China-ROK relations since the establishment of diplomatic relations 27 years ago and stressed the importance of maintaining strategic communication in order to establish more mature bilateral relations.           

The Second China-ROK High level Security Economic Forum will be held in China in 2020.

Group photo at the conference

Copy Editor: Zhu Yanhong