Editor's note: President Xi Jinping on Friday held two separate meetings with international dignitaries attending the opening ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, Heilongjiang province.
China calls for consolidating strategic partnership with ROK
Woo Won-shik
President Xi Jinping called on China and the Republic of Korea to work together to consolidate and advance their strategic cooperative partnership as he met with the National Assembly Speaker of the ROK Woo Won-shik on Friday.
Noting that China's policy toward the ROK remains stable, Xi said bilateral ties have continued to grow over the past 30 years, promoting cooperation and contributing to regional peace and development.
As this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) as well as the 80th anniversary of the ROK's National Liberation Day, Xi said both countries should well organize commemorative activities.
He underlined the need to deepen mutually integrated and win-win economic and trade relations, which conforms to the common interests of both peoples.
Xi also urged the two sides to enhance cultural exchanges and strengthen friendship between the peoples.
Noting that the ROK and China will respectively host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders' Meeting this year and next, the Chinese president called for mutual support for each other in hosting the event.
Woo said bilateral cooperation has played a significant role in the respective development of the two countries, adding that Seoul is ready to make concerted efforts with Beijing to elevate their bilateral relationship.
He pledged that friendship with China is one of the core tenets of the country's foreign policy, and will not change.
Woo added that he hoped that the two countries could beef up economic and trade cooperation, maintain the stability of global industrial and supply chains, expand personnel exchanges, and jointly commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War.
He also expressed hope that the two sides will support each other in hosting the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting.
zhaojia@chinadaily.com.cn
Beijing will continue to work with IOC to advance Olympic movement
Thomas Bach
President Xi Jinping underscored on Friday the importance of the Olympic spirit for human civilization, saying that China will integrate this spirit with the country's traditional culture and vigorously boost its sports to make greater contributions to the cause of international sports.
Xi made the remarks when meeting with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach.
Being an old friend of the Chinese people, Bach visited China shortly after he took office as IOC president in 2013. He has visited China a number of times to attend major sporting events such as the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games, the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023.
Noting that China's successful hosting of these sporting events is inseparable from its close collaboration with the international body, Xi told the IOC chief that China will continue to work with the committee to advance the Olympic movement.
Bach appreciates China's longstanding support for the IOC and said that China's hosting of spectacular and unforgettable sporting events like the Beijing Winter Games had made significant contributions to the international Olympic movement.
He also spoke positively of China's efforts in advocating solidarity, cooperation, equality and respect, in upholding multilateralism, in opposing the politicization of sports, and in supporting developing countries to be more widely involved in international sports.
China has played an important role in promoting the healthy development of the Olympic movement, he said.
Bach expressed his belief that China will continue to achieve greater development accomplishments and make greater contributions to world peace, prosperity and progress.
mojingxi@chinadaily.com.cn
