CPPCC Vice Chairman Luo Haocai Leads CKFA Delegation to ROK

At the invitation of Korea-China Friendship Association (KCFA), a China- Korea (ROK) Friendship Association (CKFA) delegation led by Luo Haocai, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and president of the CKFA, paid a goodwill visit to the Republic of Korea from October 16 to 22, 2006. This was Vice Chairman Luo’s first visit to the ROK since he assumed the presidency of CKFA in April 2005. ROK Prime Minister Han Myeong-Sook met with the delegation. During his visit in the ROK, Vice Chairman Luo met with leading officials of KCFA and other ROK nongovernmental friendship-with-China organizations as well as a number of friendly personages, had in-depth exchanges of views on nongovernmental cooperation between China and the ROK, and reached many new points of consensus. He also attended the Chinese and Korean Celebrities Forum cosponsored by the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs and the 21st Century Korea-China Exchange Association in Seoul.

In his meeting with ROK Prime Minister Han Myeong- Sook, Vice Chairman Luo Haocai said, nongovernmental diplomacy is an important component of the whole state-to-state diplomacy. The Chinese Government has always attached great importance to the people-to-people exchanges. Under the current complicated and sensitive situation, the two countries should strengthen contacts and expand exchanges between the two peoples, which is of great importance to safeguard regional security and peace and promote common development of the two countries. Prime Minister Han fully affirmed the role played by nongovernmental friendship organizations in the relations between the two countries and said, the ROK is willing to work together with China to bring nongovernmental and congressmen diplomacy into full play and push forward the substantial exchanges and cooperation between the two countries at all levels and in various fields.

At present, the CPAFFC keeps close friendly cooperative relations with the ROK nongovernmental friendship-with-China organizations including Korea-China Friendship Association, the Korea-China Amity Association, the Korea Local Authorities Foundation for International Relations and the Korea Cultural Exchange Foundation. In meeting with the leading officials of these organizations, Vice Chairman Luo Haocai said, the CPAFFC is ready to enhance understanding, deepen friendship and carry out all-round cooperation with the ROK friendship-with-China organizations, and push the development of nongovernmental exchanges between the two countries to a higher level. Leaders of the ROK friendship organizations said, Vice Chairman Luo’s visit to the ROK will help enhance mutual understanding and trust between friendship organizations of the two countries and promote a continuous development of the exchanges between the two peoples.

During his visit in the ROK, Vice Chairman Luo met with Hwang In-Sung, former ROK prime minister; Lee Seung-Yun, former deputy prime minister; Lee Kyu Hyung，vice minister of foreign affairs and commerce; and Chung Chong-Wook, former ROK ambassador to China, and expressed his appreciation for their years’ efforts to promote China-ROK friendship and hope that they would continue to exert their influence and make new contribution to the friendship between the two countries.

During his stay in the ROK Vice Chairman Luo Haocai respectively met with Hur Nam-Sik，mayor ofBusan, and Lee Sang-Ho, director general of the KoreaLocal Authorities Foundation for International Relations, and exchanged views with them on the exchanges and cooperation between the local governments of the two countries. Vice Chairman Luo stressed, the development of cities of the two countries has created new opportunities and opened broad prospects for the local governments to deepen cooperation in various fields. The two sides should treasure the current good situation, learn from each other’s strong points to offset its own weak points, seek common grounds while reserving differences and make concerted efforts to create a new situation of China-ROK friendship and cooperation.

The CPAFFC, the Korea Local Authorities Foundation for International Relations and the Japan Council of Local Authorities for International Relations hold China-Japan-ROK Friendship Cities Conference every year. Now this conference has become an important platform for the local governments of the three countries to promote understanding and exchanges. Vice Chairman Luo hoped that China and the ROK would continue their cooperation in twinning friendship cities and push an in-depth development of the exchanges between the local governments of the two countries.

The year 2007 marks the 15th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the ROK. It will also be the Year of Exchanges between China and the ROK decided by the heads of state of the two countries, during which influential and meaningful activities will be held with the participation of the broad masses. The leaders of the ROK friendship organizations, from different angles, expressed their opinions on carrying out substantial people-to-people exchanges.

Vice Chairman Luo met with and exchanged views on economic exchange and trade between the two countries with Park Sam-Koo, president of the Kumho Asiana Group and the KCFA， Kang Shin-Ho，president of the Federation of Korean Industries, Shin Jung-Tack, president of the Busan Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other personages of the ROK business circles. Luo said, bilateral trade volume in 2005 surpassed 110 billion US dollars. China has become the ROK’s largest trade partner and a target country for investment, while the ROK China’s third largest trade partner. The achievements made in economic and trade cooperation between the two countries are encouraging. The CKFA is willing to serve as a bridge for contacts between the personages of the economic circles of the two countries.

The delegation visited ROK’s famous Yonsei University and Cheju National University and met with president of Yonsei University Jung Chang-Young. Luo said, China is willing to strengthen educational cooperation and promote academic exchanges with the ROK. He had an in-depth discussion with professors of the College of Law of Yonsei University on constitution and administration law, and exchanged views on the soft law which was being studied by scholars of the Chinese law circles.

The delegation had discussions with leaders of Kyung Hee University on jointly running Korean language training class for the local Chinese government office workers and providing help for the Chinese civil servants to get the Korean language academic degree. They reached consensus in many aspects.