CICCC leadership meets with visiting ROK Kim Dae-jung Peace Center Delegation

      The China International Cultural Communication Center Vice chairman Zhang Li and Executive chairman Long Yuxiang met with visiting ROK Kim Dae-jung Peace Center Delegation on 24th September. The two parties carried out profound exchanges on such issues as cultural, economic and trade interchange and reached consensus over these matters.

CICCC Vice chairman Zhang Li and Executive chairman Long Yuxiang met with visiting ROK Kim Dae-jung Peace Center Delegation on 24^th September   

( photo by Song Bihong )

      Zhang Li firstly extended a warm welcome to Rhee Hee-hoh, late ROK President Kim Dae-jung’s wife, and the visiting Kim Dae-jung Peace Center Delegation. Zhang said, China and the ROK are close neighbours separated by only a strip of water, enhanced by the cultural kinship. We have created through our long-standing history many much-told tales about friendly interchanges, particularly in the war of resisting the Japanese invasion. The two peoples fought side by side, went through hardships and sufferings which would be recorded in the history of two nations forever. In the Asian financial crisis and international financial crisis, we two joint hand in hand to overcome the challenges, which are highly praised by each other. Arguably, the friendship between China and the ROK has stood the test of trials and hardships and become increasingly a deep and solid one. From the establishment of the diplomatic relations in 1992 onwards, the two sides has made joint efforts to create a situation in which their friendship grew more rapidly and comprehensively into a strategic partnership. Leaderships of both nations communicated frequently and intensely. Politically mutual trust has been deepened; cooperation in trade has been enhanced. A number of around 20 thousand person/time travels between the two countries every single day. The two parties have cooperated closely in regional and global affairs, contributed positively to the peaceful maintenance of the region and the world in general. China’s new generation of leadership put forward the notion of the Chinese Dream, President Park Geun-hye advanced a new aim of building a happy time for the people. We would see from this, the two countries are both focusing on development, people’s livelihood and the future. In the meeting with President Park Geun-hye, President Xi Jinping said, I am willing to work hard with you to move forward the strategic partnership between China and the ROK, to make it closer, healthier and more dynamic and eventually more favorable to the peoples’ wellbeing. Xi regarded President Park Geun-hye the old friend of the Chinese people. It is a way of recognition as well as expectation, which would serve to lay a solider foundation for the future development of the relations between the two.

Kim Dae-jung’s widow Ms Rhee Hee-hoh presents CICCC Vice chairman Zhang Li with gift    ( photo by Yuan Fan )

Executive chairman Long Yuxiang presents Kim Dae-jung’s widow Ms Rhee Hee-hoh with Culture Magazine    ( photo by Yuan Fan )

      Long Yuxiang said at the meeting, in the last 21 years since the establishment of the diplomatic ties between the two sides, bilateral relations have realized a profound development; cultural exchanges between the two have also been deepened and much vitalized. Your visit to China and this meeting we have would surely provide more impetus for the future cultural communication. I wish, through this meeting, cultural interchange would be promoted, the spiritual life of the two peoples’ will be enriched and mutual understanding and friendship would be enhanced. Recently, political environment in the North-east Asia became more complicated with various and many issues intertwined with each other, the CICCC planned to hold a cultural exchange event amongst China, the ROK and the DPRK around the 38th parallel. We all cherish peace, we hope no war. We expect to carry out richer and deeper interchange in cooperation with the Peace Center in the field of art and culture.

Chinese calligraphers carry out impromptu art for south Korea guests

   ( photo by Yuan Fan )

CICCC Vice chairman Zhang Li and Executive chairman Long Yuxiang present Kim Dae-jung’s widow Ms Rhee Hee-hoh with calligraphy    

( photo by Yuan Fan )

      Rhee Hee-hoh late ROK President Kim Dae-jung’s wife who now serves as chairman of the Kim Dae-jung Peace Center expressed gratitude for the hospitality the delegation received from the CICCC leadership. She said, in the very ancient times, Chinese cultural started to spread to Korea, from that point onwards Korea’s received a heavy influence from Chinese culture. She hoped that the CICCC would continue to build up more platforms for culture exchanges to accelerate the ROK’s cultural development. Currently, the two countries on the Korean peninsula confronted with each other since 1945. Both regard the other part an enemy. Nowadays, the DPRK largely budgets for weaponry purchase. However, weaponry is not for peace, rather, it is a means of confrontation and conflict, which is a sad fact. The ROK and the DPRK are actually in a relationship of coexistence, joint development and collective prosperity. I hope we would be willing to work together to maintain the regional peace and stability, to promote the development and prosperity of the world at large.

      Director of the Kim Dae-jung Peace Center, Mr. Kim said at the meeting that during his lifetime, President Kim Dae-jung attached great importance to the relationship with China. He once said that the ROK and China enjoyed an inseparable culture system. In the spring of 2009, President Kim Dae-jung visited China, he hold a talk with the then Vice President Xi Jinping. President Kim believed peace between the two Koreas was the prerequisite to the peace in the whole Northeast Asia, and the key aspect for coexistence and development. President Kim Dae-jung visited the DPRK in 2006 to meet with Kim Jong-il. Ms Kim, Rhee Hee-hoh also paid respect to Kim Jong-il at his death to North Korea. At the moment, the relationship between the two Koreas saw great tension. All humanitarian efforts between the two has been cut off, it was a sympathetic situation. I agreed with Executive chairman Long’s opinion that the two Koreas ought to communicate and exchange more. To hold a cultural communicating event amongst the three countries around the 38th parallel was a brilliant idea.

Group photo of the CICCC leadership and visiting guests    ( photo by Yuan Fan )

      The meeting was proceeding in a friendly and ardent ambience. After the meeting, the two sides presented each other with gifts for good wishes for future cooperation. Manager and acting manager of the Kim Dae-jung Peace Center, former President Kim Dae-jung’s son also attended the event. From Chinese side, the CICCC Communication Department Director-general Xiao Ping, Director-general of the General Office of the CICCC and renowned Chinese painter Ye Shi were also present at the function.