President Lee Jae-myung, on a state visit to China, said on the 4th (local time) that "China is an indispensable cooperation partner in moving toward peace and unification on the Korean Peninsula."
At his opening remarks during a meeting with Korean residents in China held in Beijing that day, Lee said, "I hope this visit to China will fill the gaps in the relationship between Korea and China, restore it to normal, and become a new starting point for further development."
Lee said, "It has already been 30 years since Korea and China established diplomatic relations. The two countries went through difficult times but achieved remarkable progress through exchanges," adding, "They say even a landscape changes in 10 years, and China has achieved many changes, such as making Fintech technologies like Alipay part of daily life and rapidly expanding the spread of electric vehicles through eco-friendly policies."
He went on, "As I remember, every Jan., the biggest issue in the Republic of Korea was 'What should we do when fine dust and particulate matter blow over from China in Feb.–Mar.?' but now we hardly worry about that," calling it "tremendous progress."
He emphasized, "China competes with us in the global market, but on the other hand, there are countless areas for future cooperation, including renewable energy, bio, and the silver industry."
On the significance of this visit to China, he said, "In Nov. last year, President Xi Jinping made a state visit to Korea for the first time in 11 years, and my visit this time is said to be the first state visit to China by a president of the Republic of Korea in as many as nine years," adding, "It is unprecedented for the leaders of Korea and China to pay reciprocal state visits within just two months."
He also said, "It reflects the grave recognition by both countries that ties must be normalized as quickly as possible," adding, "My return visit will serve as a milestone in designing the next 30 years of our bilateral relationship."
Lee said, "For a time, there was a diplomatic vacuum caused by illegal martial law. Although the popular sovereignty government has accelerated diplomatic normalization and achieved several outcomes, fully restoring Korea–China relations after a long period of retreat is the greatest achievement and a source of great pride."
He continued, "I will sustain the current positive momentum so that you will never face hardship again," and added, "Through a national-interest-centered, pragmatic diplomacy, we will provide state support so that (Korean nationals abroad), wherever you are, can feel firmly connected to the Republic of Korea as your homeland."
He also said, "Above all, we will make sure to resolve the inconveniences of overseas voting," adding, "Despite China's vast geography, I am told there are only 10 polling stations installed. We will push institutional improvements so that no obstacles arise to the exercise of your sovereign rights."