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To: JohnG who wrote (53719)	12/13/1999 2:35:00 AM
From: LBstocks	Respond to of 152472

Tang's visit lays stepping-stone for multifaceted Seoul-Beijing ties The Korea-China foreign ministers' meeting over the weekend was meaningful in that it laid a stepping-stone for developing bilateral ties beyond trade to political, cultural and even military areas, analysts here said yesterday. It was also in keeping with the agreement reached between President Kim Dae-jung and Chinese President Jiang Zemin last November to solidify their cooperative partnership for the 21st century in politics, economy and culture. Evidencing the strengthening relationship between Seoul and Beijing, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Hong Soon-young and Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan agreed on mutual visits by their top officials, including Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji and Defense Minister Chi Haotian, as well as annual exchanges by the foreign ministers themselves. Tang also invited the Korean prime minister and National Assembly speaker to visit Beijing next year. "The accord on reciprocal visits by foreign ministers carries great significance, symbolizing the growth of ties between the two countries, which involved mainly business and trade concerns in the past," a ministry official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "Moreover, given that China is the closest ally of North Korea, the regular exchange of high-level government officials between South Korea and China will help secure stability on the Korean Peninsula, by deterring possible provocation from the North," the official said. At their meeting, the two foreign ministers have also discussed ways to enhance their economic ties, at a time when China is about to join the World Trade Organization, other ministry officials said. Specifically, Minister Hong called for Beijing to cooperate with Korean firms' advances into the Chinese CDMA mobile phone and automobile markets, deregulation for Korean financial service firms and Korea's participation in China's major construction projects. Tang gave positive answers to the requests, while in calling in turn for Seoul's cooperation in correcting Beijing's trade deficit with Korea. Some sensitive issues still remain to be resolved between the two countries, analysts said, noting that most delicate of them is China's treatment of North Korean refugees who have fled their famine-stricken homeland. Minister Hong requested Beijing treat them in a humanitarian manner. Tang, while promising to heed Seoul's call, fell short of making a positive reply by reiterating Beijing's previous position. China refuses to regard the defectors as legal refugees, protected under international law and claims the issue is the concern of Beijing and Pyongyang alone. Tang, the second Chinese foreign minister to visit Seoul since 1992, left for home yesterday, winding up his three-day vist here, inwhich he also paid a courtesy call on President Kim Dae-jung. President Kim delivered his hope that the two countries will maintain closer cooperation through more exchanges in the next century, officials said. "Korea and China have made enormous developments in their relationship since opening diplomatic ties in 1992," Kim was quoted as saying. "In the 21st century, the century of the Asia-Pacific region, I expect the two countries will keep closer ties with further exchanges." Updated: 12/13/1999 by Kim Ji-ho Staff reporter