President Kim Dae-jung of Korea meets with Sun Jiazheng, Minister of the Cultural Ministry of China and Chairman of the Organizing Committee of A Year of Exchanges between the Peoples of China and Korea on the Chinese side, on April 1st at the President's Residence at Cheong Wadae. The guest and the host have a cordial and friendly talk.

At the meeting, Sun Jiazheng conveys to President Kim Dae-jung the cordial greetings from President Jiang Zemin and Premier Zhu Rongji. Kim Dae-jung expresses his thanks for this and asks Sun Jiazheng to convey his greetings to President Jiang Zemin and Premier Zhu Rongji.

Kim Dae-jung speaks highly of the tremendous achievements made by China in the reforms and opening-up as well as the construction for modernization. He says these achievements are made with the joint efforts of the decision-making of the Chinese leading group and the Chinese people. He expresses that 21st century is a century of knowledge and culture. The mutual visits between the Ministers of Cultural Ministry of China and Korea and the strengthening of the undertaking of cultural exchanges between the two nations are of special significance.

Kim Dae-jung expresses that Korea will take measures to go on with the promotion of reconciliation between the South and the North, as well as peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. He expresses his thanks for the Chinese Government to support consistently the progress of peaceful unification between the South and the North on the Korean Peninsula and hopes that China will go on with displaying its positive functions. Kim Dae-jung says that he will send his special envoy to Pyongyang for promoting the reconciliation and having dialogues between the South and the North. He hopes that this visit of the special envoy can achieve good results.

Also present at the meeting are Nam Kong Jin, Senior Officer of the Korean Ministry of Culture and Sightseeing, and Li Bing, Ambassador of China to Korea.

Sun Jiazheng reached Korea on March 29th for participating in the opening activities of In Commemoration of 10th Anniversary of Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between China and Korea-- A Year of Exchanges between the Peoples of China and Korea.

(From Xinhua Web)