| Chinese Ambassador Xing Haiming visits Cheong Wa Dae, Feb. 7 Yonhap |
By Do Je-hae
President Moon Jae-in said Friday that his government will exert every effort to help Beijing resolve the coronavirus issue as swiftly as possible, according to Cheong Wa Dae.
“The President expressed his deep sympathy to the Chinese government and its people for the difficulties they are going through due to the coronavirus epidemic and wished for a fast recovery,” Han Jung-woo, director of the presidential press center, said in a statement. “He also thanked Beijing for supporting the repatriation of Korean nationals from Wuhan on chartered flights.”
The remarks came during an official ceremony at the presidential office where new Chinese Ambassador to Korea Xing Haiming presented his credentials to the President.
Moon said there are high expectations for Xing to improve ties between the two countries, given his expertise on the Korean Peninsula. He has served in South Korea three times and was closely involved in the establishment of bilateral relations in 1992 when he was a junior diplomat at China's foreign ministry. He has also served at the Chinese Embassy in North Korea twice, and is fluent in Korean.
“The President expressed his hope that the new ambassador will contribute not just to improve bilateral relations but also to bring the two Koreas closer together,” the presidential office said.
| Ceremony at Cheong Wa Dae for new envoys, Feb. 8 Yonhap |
One of the biggest priorities for Xing will be to arrange the summit between President Xi Jinping and Moon in Seoul in the first half of this year. There have been concerns, however, that the coronavirus and Korea's entry ban on foreigners from Wuhan could hinder the planned visit. Realizing Xi's visit is important for Moon, who is relying on China's support to revive momentum for diplomacy with North Korea. Beijing's cooperation in advancing the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula was one of the key topics of his summit with Xi in Beijing last year.
Moon also mentioned his meeting with Xi and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in December 2019 and expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome he received during his visit to China.
Xing conveyed greetings from Xi and Li to Moon and thanked him for the warm remarks toward the Chinese people during a public health crisis. “Xing was deeply moved when Moon recently said 'China's difficulties are our difficulties,'” Han said. Moon made the remarks Monday during a weekly meeting at Cheong Wa Dae with his aides as he stressed the need for close for bilateral cooperation in the fight against the coronavirus.
| Chinese Ambassador Xing Haiming during a press conference at the Chinese Embassy, Feb. 4. Yonhap |
Ambassador Xing's arrival has gained intense media attention due to the coronavirus which has prompted an entry ban for all foreigners having visited Hubei Province in the past two weeks. Xing captured local media attention immediately upon arriving here. The new envoy held a press conference at the Chinese Embassy, Feb. 4, only days after his arrival to explain China's handling of the virus. The unusual press conference raised criticism that it went against diplomatic convention for an envoy to hold such an event even before presenting his official credentials.