President Lee Jae-myung, on a state visit to China, attended a dinner hosted by Shanghai Communist Party Secretary Chen Jining at the Shanghai International Guest House on the 6th (local time) and said of South Korea-China relations, "What is truly important in solving economic and material issues is the amicable and friendly sentiment between the peoples of the two countries."
Lee said, "For quite a long time, because of baseless and unnecessary misunderstandings and distortions and a few wrong elements, Koreans' perceptions of Chinese and Chinese people's perceptions of Koreans have generally worsened," adding, "As a result, the development of South Korea-China relations has been blocked in many respects."
He went on, "From now on, we must minimize such misunderstandings and make the most of the friendly feelings between South Korea and China. If there are elements of conflict or friction, we should minimize them and maximize the elements that help, so that we can move forward together as excellent neighbors to each other."
He continued, "Through my visit to China, not only will South Korea-China relations advance to a new stage, but it also seems likely to be a good opportunity to resolve all the awkward parts that existed. President Xi Jinping always says to me, 'We are neighbors who cannot move away even if we want to, an inseparable relationship.' From people-to-people exchanges and the cultural sphere to the military and security field, there are many areas in which the two countries can cooperate."
Lee said, "The most practical matter is cooperation in the economic field, which is directly related to people's livelihoods," adding, "China has also established its 15th five-year economic development plan, and I hope the Republic of Korea can contribute during the implementation of that plan."
Lee said, "This may be a personal remark, but every spring the Republic of Korea suffered greatly from fine dust, and it even escalated into a political issue. At some point, fine dust eased significantly, and these days it has become almost a nonissue, which has eased our concerns," adding, "I learned that this was due to the role of the (Shanghai) mayor, and I thank you. You are highly capable. It is a significant achievement."