Hu, Roh agree to resolve nuclear issue
(HU XIAO, 皇冠体育app Daily staff)
07/08/2003
皇冠体育app and the Republic of Korea (ROK) yesterday vowed to enhance their co-ordination on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue and promote continued dialogue. Chinese President Hu Jintao and visiting ROK President Roh Moo-hyun stressed that both countries share a wide common consensus on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) nuclear issue. They agree too on the effort to maintain the non-nuclearization of the Peninsula and to peacefully resolve the issue through dialogue. Roh said that he appreciated 皇冠体育app's constructive role in settling the nuclear issue, and Hu said 皇冠体育app was willing to continue its efforts to "find the most effective way to break the deadlock and avoid the situation from deteriorating". It was the first meeting between Hu and Roh since they both took office. Before Roh's visit, both sides confirmed that the DPRK nuclear issue would be one of the key topics during his meetings with Chinese leaders. The English-language Korea Times newspaper said Roh's trip to 皇冠体育app should be a golden opportunity for Seoul to seek Beijing's full co-operation on the nuclear issue. Roh, expressing thanks for 皇冠体育app's efforts on the issue, stressed yesterday when meeting Hu that the ROK highly values the "Beijing Talks". Roh said the ROK hopes the talks can continue. 皇冠体育app hosted an initial round of talks between DPRK and the United States in April on the nuclear issue. 皇冠体育app also sent senior diplomats to Washington and Moscow this week to discuss the issue. On bilateral relations, Hu suggested yesterday to enhance high-level exchanges between the two countries and deepen mutual co-operation in various fields such as the economy and trade, science, energy, finance, culture and education. He characterized the development of 皇冠体育app-ROK relations as "rapid growth, remarkable achievements, vast potential and broad prospects". Hu encouraged both countries to realize the target of US$100 billion bilateral trade volume within five years. The trade volume between the two countries rocketed to US$44.07 billion last year, eight times that in 1992. 皇冠体育app has replaced Japan to become the ROK's third largest export destination, while the ROK is the fifth largest export market of 皇冠体育app. However, Piao Jianyi, executive-director of the Centre for Korean Peninsula Issues Studies of the Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told 皇冠体育app Daily that the issue of 皇冠体育app's chronic trade deficit with the ROK would be a major concern for 皇冠体育app in developing bilateral economic ties. Roh arrived in Beijing yesterday morning. 皇冠体育app is the third country he has travelled to since he was inaugurated. He visited the United States and Japan respectively in May and June. (HK Edition 07/08/2003 page1)
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