China's Hu recommits to efforts on N. Korea
(International Herald Tribune)
Updated: 2005-11-18 01:35

President Hu Jintao on Thursday reaffirmed China's commitment to denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula, and later warned that security issues such as terrorism have become a threat ''to the very existence and development of mankind.''

Hu made the comments in two separate speeches during an official visit to South Korea, the first by a Chinese president to the country in a decade.

Addressing South Korea's National Assembly in the capital, Seoul, Hu said the Chinese government would work with North Korea as well as South Korea to bring a peaceful resolution to the international dispute about the North's nuclear programs.

''We firmly support whatever is conducive to safeguarding peace and stability on the peninsula,'' Hu said. ''As proven by facts, the peaceful resolution to the peninsula's nuclear issue through dialogue is the most realistic and reasonable method.''

China, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United States have sought since 2003 to convince North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons ambitions.

In September, the North agreed to abandon its nuclear program in return for security guarantees and energy aid. But it cast doubt on the breakthrough the next day by insisting it get a nuclear reactor, for generating power, before it disarms.

Hu said China supported attempts to build better ties between the countries, ''with the eventual goal of achieving peaceful reunification.''

His comments drew frequent applause from South Korean lawmakers, and he received a standing ovation after his 30-minute speech.

Hu later flew to the southeastern city of Busan, where he will join other world leaders for the annual summit of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum on Friday and Saturday.

In a speech to a gathering of business executives on the sidelines of APEC, Hu said countries must cooperate to meet unprecedented challenges.

''Nontraditional security issues, such as terrorism, financial risks and natural disasters, are posing a threat to the very existence and development of mankind,'' Hu said through a translator. ''It is important that people of all countries work together in good faith to meet all challenges and risks.''

He said countries should not feel threatened by China's booming growth, which is rapidly turning the world's most populous country into one of its most economically powerful.

''Facts have proved that China's development will not stand in the way of anyone, nor will it pose any threat to anyone,'' Hu said. ''Instead, it will only do good to peace, stability and prosperity in the world.''

In Seoul, Hu said China-South Korea relations had entered their ''best-ever era.''

The two countries — which fought each other during the 1950-53 Korean War — forged diplomatic ties in 1992. Since then, China has overtaken the United States as South Korea's biggest trade partner.

This year's trade volume is expected to top US$100 billion (E85 billion), three years earlier than targeted. Hu and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun agreed at talks Wednesday to try to double the amount by 2012.

Hu said China-South Korea ties should be a ''model'' showing that countries with different systems can peacefully coexist.

''The world is rich and diverse,'' he said. ''As proven by the two countries' development of relations, countries with different social systems can perfectly coexist ... if they understand and respect each other, and facilitate mutual confidence and deal properly with differences in opinions.''

In neither speech did Hu mention China's confirmation a day earlier of its first human cases of bird flu.

This story is from International Herald Tribune website.