BEIJING ― President Park Geun-hye returned from her four-day state visit to China on Sunday, bringing home a stronger partnership forged with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with reaffirmed security and political cooperation on North Korea and the region.

Park also earned China’s support for two key initiatives ― the trust-building process for the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia’s peace cooperative mechanism ― as well as for a stronger push to conclude the Korea-China free trade agreement.

Winning China’s stronger position against North Korea’s denuclearization, on the other hand, was considered to be a mediocre success as the two leaders compromised on reiterating their commitment to the “denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula” instead of elucidating North Korea in the joint communique.

Park visited South Korean companies, including a Samsung Electronics plant, in the ancient city of Xian, the capital of Shaanxi province, and toured a UNESCO World Heritage-designated archaeological site on Sunday before ending her trip with a meeting with Koreans residing in the area. 

Samsung is building a high-tech plant in Xian, which is the single biggest investment in China by a South Korean firm, and will be the first NAND flash memory plant in China.

“Park stressed that South Korea should pay greater attention and take a strategic approach to China’s west as Shaanxi province is emerging as a hub of China’s economy,” a government statement said.

On the previous day, Park met with Zhao Zhengyong, the Communist Party chief of the province, and discussed ways to bolster economic and cultural exchanges between the two sides.

Park noted South Korean companies are expanding investment in the province, which she said will help China’s push to develop its less-developed western regions.

Zhao said he asked for Seoul’s support for expanding investment in his province and promised to provide active support for any efforts to expand exchanges and cooperation in the economic, education and cultural sectors.

Noting that the Korean independence army had a presence in Xian when Korea was under Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule, Park asked Zhao for support for Seoul’s efforts to set up a commemorative stone monument in the city in honor of Korean independence fighters.

Xian was the second leg of Park’s four-day state visit that already took her to Beijing.

While in Beijing on Saturday, Park offered during a meeting with Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong to return the remains of hundreds of Chinese troops killed in the 1950-53 Korean War, her spokeswoman said, in a symbolic gesture of friendship toward the former battlefield foe.

“This year marks the 60th anniversary of the (Korean War) armistice,” Park was quoted by spokesperson Kim Haing as saying. “There are 360 sets of remains of Chinese soldiers in South Korea. The South Korean government has taken good care of them, but the bereaved families in China must be waiting for their return, and we would like to repatriate the remains.”

Liu expressed gratitude, saying the offer well conveys Park’s friendship toward China.

During the Korean War, China fought alongside North Korea against the U.S.-backed Allied Forces. History records show that more than 1 million Chinese soldiers were killed in the three-year war.

Right after the meeting with Liu, Park delivered a friendship address at Tsinghua University, the alma mater of Xi, and called for the two neighbors to build relations of “trust” based on the big strides they have made in just 20 years of diplomatic ties. The first introductory part of the speech was delivered in Chinese.

“I believe that Korea-China relations should now move forward into a more mature and substantial partnership ... I intend to pursue dialogue and cooperation in a more forward-moving way based on the deep trust forged with President Xi through the summit,” she said.

Park also outlined her vision for peace with the North, saying, “I want to bring genuine peace to the Korean Peninsula.”

She also stressed that a peaceful Korean Peninsula would also be of help to the prosperity of Chinese provinces bordering with North Korea.

“A Northeast Asia without geopolitical risks stemming from the issue of North Korea would serve as a ‘growth engine’ for the world through the combination of a rich labor force and the world’s best capital and technologies” in the region, she said. “It will offer more opportunities of success for your lives as well.”

By Han Suk-hee and news reports
(why37@heraldcorp.com)