China, ROK agree to enhance mutual trust, cooperation

TOKYO - Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met with Republic of Korea (ROK) President Moon Jae-in in Tokyo on Wednesday, vowing to enhance political mutual trust and win-win cooperation.

Calling the two countries close neighbors and important cooperation partners, Li said China hopes to enhance strategic communication and political trust with the ROK, expand win-win cooperation and promote further easing of regional situation.

He called on the ROK to properly handle the issue regarding the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system.

The two countries should synergize their development strategies and enhance cooperation in various areas, Li said.

The 7th China-Japan-ROK leaders' meeting, held earlier on Wednesday in Tokyo, had reached many new consensuses on boosting cooperation, maintaining regional stability and facilitating regional development, Li said.

China will take over the presidency of the trilateral cooperation, he said, vowing to work closely with Japan and the ROK to cement trust and meet each other halfway to boost trilateral cooperation as well as regional integration.H Li congratulated the success of the recent inter-Korean summit between Moon and top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong-un.

He welcomed the return of the nuclear issue on Korean Peninsula to the track of dialogue and spoke highly of the efforts made by the ROK.

Such a situation has not come by easily, he said, urging all parties concerned to seize the opportunity, stick to the right direction of maintaining dialogue and improving relations, and make efforts for a political settlement of the peninsula issue and a lasting peace on the peninsula.

"China will continue to play a constructive role in this regard," he said.

Moon extended congratulations on the positive results scored by the trilateral meeting.

He appreciated China's strong support and cooperation for the inter-Korea summit and hoped for continued full support from China for the planned meeting between US President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un and for the process of realizing peace in the peninsula.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the China-ROK strategic cooperative partnership and the relations between the two countries have been restored and normalized, said Moon.

He hoped that the two sides could maintain high-level exchanges, consolidate political mutual trust, and advance pragmatic cooperation, so as to promote new progress in bilateral relations.