BEIJING (Yonhap News) ― Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping, who is in line to become Beijing’s next leader, hosted Park Joon-young, governor of South Korea’s South Jeolla Province, in a rare meeting, Park said.

During the Thursday meeting at the Great Hall of the People, Xi expressed his willingness to fully support the upcoming World Expo to be hosted by South Korea next month, according to Park.

<YONHAP PHOTO-0493> 박준영 지사, 중국 시진핑 부주석과 면담 (서울=연합뉴스) 중국을 방문한 박준영 전남 도지사가 19일 오후 베이징 인민대회당에서 시진핑(習近平) 국가 부주석과 환담하고 있다. << 국제뉴스부 기사참조 >>2012.4.20 photo@yna.co.kr/2012-04-20 11:54:25/ <저작권자 ⓒ 1980-2012 ㈜연합뉴스. 무단 전재 재배포 금지.>
South Jeolla Gov. Park Joon-young (left) talks with Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Thursday. Xi expressed his willingness to support the World Expo to be hosted in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province in May.  Yonhap News
박준영 지사, 중국 시진핑 부주석과 면담 (서울=연합뉴스) 중국을 방문한 박준영 전남 도지사가 19일 오후 베이징 인민대회당에서 시진핑(習近平) 국가 부주석과 환담하고 있다. << 국제뉴스부 기사참조 >>2012.4.20 photo@yna.co.kr/2012-04-20 11:54:25/ <저작권자 ⓒ 1980-2012 ㈜연합뉴스. 무단 전재 재배포 금지.> South Jeolla Gov. Park Joon-young (left) talks with Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Thursday. Xi expressed his willingness to support the World Expo to be hosted in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province in May. Yonhap News

South Jeolla Gov. Park Joon-young (left) talks with Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Thursday. Xi expressed his willingness to support the World Expo to be hosted in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province in May. (Yonhap News)

The Yeosu World Expo is scheduled to kick off in May for a 93-day run. The event is expected to draw more than 8 million visitors from more than 100 countries.

Yeosu, a port city of South Jeolla Province, is located some

455 kilometers south of Seoul.

Xi and Park also exchanged views on a wide range of issues, including North Korea and agricultural cooperation among local governments of South Korea and China, during the 40-minute meeting, Park said.


koreaherald@heraldcorp.com