Roh stumps for more trade links

BEIJING ― Economic issues dominated the schedule on the morning of President Roh Moo-hyun’s second day in Beijing yesterday; in the afternoon, he met with Wen Jaibao, China’s premier, and dined with him that evening. The Korean delegation and its hosts had reportedly found rough going as they try to draft a joint statement about the visit because of sensitive disputes over a possible visit by the Dalai Lama to Seoul, Korea’s trade ties with Taiwan and the detention of a Korean photographer in China. An 11-point statement was expected in the early morning hours today, said Lee Hae-sung, the Blue House public affairs coordinator.
Although Mr. Roh stumped for expanded trade relations with its neighbor, North Korean issues were on everyone’s mind. Mr. Roh told his Chinese interlocutors, “South Korea is determined to provide more economic assistance to the North if Pyeongyang accepts the call for multilateral dialogue and the nuclear issues are settled peacefully.” He asked the Chinese again to use their influence with Pyeongyang toward those goals.
Mr. Roh’s foreign affairs adviser, Ban Ki-moon, elaborated after the meetings. “To resolve security and economic instability in the North, Pyeongyang’s attendance at multilateral talks is not enough,” he said. “Nuclear issues must be resolved completely and irreversibly, and the nuclear arms programs must be scrapped.”
Mr. Wu, China’s second-ranking official and its legislative leader, assured Mr. Roh that China would play a constructive role toward that end.
In the morning, Mr. Roh focused on economic diplomacy in a meeting with Chinese businessmen. He asked for additional business exchanges in energy, finance and advanced technologies. “I hope that Korean companies can join China’s grand project to develop its western region and other programs such as the Beijing Olympics and the Shanghai Exposition,” Mr. Roh told the business leaders.
He also said that China had proposed an economic bloc among South Korea, Japan and China. “China suggested a joint declaration about the three countries’ economic cooperation at the upcoming meeting of the leaders of ASEAN and the three countries,” he said. That meeting, involving the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, will take place in October. “I think the proposal was very timely,” he added.
Cho Yoon-je, Mr. Roh’s economic affairs adviser, said Beijing had originally proposed closer but undefined economic links among the three countries last December. He said the declaration would be adopted at the regional meeting in October, but did not indicate whether Japan has also agreed.
Mr. Cho also said Chinese President Hu Jintao proposed to Mr. Roh on Monday a team to consult on economic and trade issues between the two countries. According to Mr. Cho, the team will handle trade disputes and work on measures to increase investments in each other’s economies. Kim Jin-pyo, the deputy prime minister for economic affairs, will head the Korean side of the team, Mr. Cho said.
While Mr. Wen, the premier, and Mr. Roh dined, South Korean and Chinese officials were working on a draft joint statement to sum up the visit. Although no details were forthcoming last night, the thorny issues of South Korea’s relations with Taiwan and the visit of the Buddhist leader, the Dalai Lama of Tibet, were reportedly stumbling blocks to a joint statement. Seoul’s demand that China release a Korean freelance photographer, detained on charges of investigating North Korean defectors in China, was also named by some officials as a sore point with the Chinese.

by Choi Hoon