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| Yoon Seok-youl, right, presidential candidate of the main opposition People Power Party, shakes hands with Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming at the PPP's headquarters in Seoul, Friday. Yonhap |
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Yoon Seok-youl, presidential candidate of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), said he would make efforts to improve ties with China during a meeting with Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming, Friday.
Ambassador Xing paid a courtesy call to Yoon at PPP headquarters and discussed diplomatic issues between the two countries.
Yoon said he hopes to better understand and promote bilateral ties with China if he wins the election.
"Korea and China are important trading partners and I will try to improve Seoul-Beijing ties," Yoon said during the meeting with Xing.
"Korea-China ties have a long history of over 5,000 years. We expect to become even closer as Korea and China commemorate the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations next year."
The ambassador emphasized the importance of trade China-Korea trade relations.
"The trade volume between China and South Korea is over $340 billion, which is more than the total trade between Korea and the U.S., Japan and Europe," the ambassador said.
"China and Korea share Confucian ideals and we are very close. Chinese people are very much interested in Korea, one of its closest neighbors, and have an amicable attitude toward Korea."
Xing also noted the urea solution shortage in Korea and that the two countries would cooperate on this issue through communication.
Ambassador Xing's meeting with Yoon came eight days after his visit to Yoon's rival, Lee Jae-myung, presidential candidate of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, on Nov. 11, as the ambassador continues to promote the importance of Korea-China relations.
