China’s Xi Positive About East Asian Economic Bloc

By Na Jeong-ju Staff Reporter President Lee Myung-bak and Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping agreed Thursday to cooperate closely for an early resumption of the six-party talks on denuclearizing North Korea. They also made a commitment to work together to help conclude a joint study on the envisioned Korea-China Free Trade Agreement (FTA) at an early date and set up a common East Asian economic bloc involving the two countries and Japan. President Lee Myung-bak shakes hands with China’s Vice President Xi Jinping before talks at Cheong Wa Dae, Thursday. The two leaders agreed to work closely together to resolve North Korea’s nuclear programs. Xi arrived in Seoul, Wednesday, for a four-day visit. / Korea Times Photo by Sohn Yong-seok The accords came in a meeting between Lee and Xi at Cheong Wa Dae. The most likely successor to President Hu Jintao arrived here Wednesday night for a four-day visit. "Lee appreciated China's efforts to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue and asked it to play a greater role next year," presidential spokesman Park Sun-kyu said. "In response, the vice president stressed the importance of Korea-China relations in easing tensions on the Korean Peninsula and pledged to make further efforts to revitalize the denuclearization talks." Xi asked Seoul to take on a greater role in resolving the nuclear issue, saying China can discuss Lee's "grand bargain" proposal with other nations concerned, according to the spokesman. Lee has been seeking broader worldwide support for the proposal, under which the countries involved in the six-party talks would seek a quick resolution of the nuclear issue in exchange for an economic aid package to Pyongyang. North Korea has been pushing for direct nuclear talks with the United States instead of participating in the six-nation negotiation framework, which was formed in early 2003 following the secretive state's withdrawal from the Non-Proliferation Treaty. Lee and Xi also shared the idea of forming a free trade deal among Korea, Japan and China. "They agreed to work together to help advance the ongoing FTA talks," spokesman Park said. The two leaders also decided to strengthen partnerships between Korea and China for the successful hosting of major international events, including the G20 Summit to be held in Seoul next year, the 2010 Shanghai Expo in China and the 2012 Yeosu Expo. President Lee said that prospects for the global fight against climate change are not as dark as some advanced countries have forecast because related technologies continue to be developed. He added the ongoing U.N. climate talks in Copenhagen may not produce a perfect agreement, but could serve as a good starting point. Xi told Lee that China would actively participate in the world's efforts to combat climate change, but that a forceful limit on economic growth was not in its interest. After the meeting with Xi, Lee departed for the Danish capital to attend the climate summit, scheduled to end today. jj@koreatimes.co.kr