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President Chen, professors and students of Beijing University who will carry
the future of China on your shoulders.
This is my third visit to Beijing University having been here in 1994 and 1996. Rarely have I visited one university three times even in Korea. To that extend my relationship with Beijing University is special, I believe, and it is great honor for me.
First, I wholeheartedly congratulate you on the 100th anniversary of the founding of Beijing University which has been a moving force in modern Chinese history. While leading the new culture campaign and the May 4 Movement, Beijing University has played a pioneering role in China. It has guarded and developed China throughout the tumultuous 20th century. I am firmly convinced that the potential of Beijing University which has accumulated brilliant achievements promises a bright future for China.
Professors and students,
There is one thing for which I must first express personal and heartfelt gratitude to you and the people and Government of China. It is that many Chinese people did not hesitated to encourage and support me during my eventful political career as I researched and developed my ideas about the future of our people, unification on the Korean Peninsula, and relations between South and North Korea. I thank you very much.
China suffered an enormous loss of human life and property damage due to the unprecedented flooding last summer. Because the Republic of Korea also suffered flood damage at about the same time, the 44 million Korean people feel especially acute sympathy for the Chinese people. And I applaud the Chinese people who have so admirably overcome the effects of the disaster under the excellent leadership of President Jiang Zemin.
Professors and students,
China and Korea have maintained the closest relations-- geographically, historically and culturally--of any two countries in the world over the past 2,000 years. And although the Cold-War era was an unfortunate period, relations between our two countries have been extremely peaceful and cooperative.
In particular, Korea has been greatly influenced in politics, the economy, religion and culture by China for 2,000 years. Especially, China's influence has been considerable in religion and culture. However, the Korean people, as China did before it, recreated the cultural borrowings into something uniquely Korean. We accepted Buddhism and developed it into Tonghae Buddhism. We accepted Confucianism and deepened it into Korean Confucianism. All the ethical and cultural borrowings from China were developed further by us.
Both China and Korea have taken the spirit of democracy as their central idea. In China, rulers were expected to "regard the people as they regarded heaven," and "respect heaven and love the people." In Korea, they were told that "the people equal heaven," and they should "serve the people as they would serve heaven." These teachings are as important as the Western idea of human rights.
Professors and students,
Both China and Korea have been invaded by imperial powers in modern times; both have cast away their unfortunate past, reclaimed their independence, and are rising up to march forward toward new prosperity and development. By cooperating with each other, our two nations must become reliable partners and world leaders in the 21st century.
The Republic of Korea accomplished "the miracle on the Han river." To overcome the harmful effects of rapid economic development, however, we are pushing daring reform and restructuring based on the idea that democracy and a free market economy must develop in parallel.
China, too, has accomplished surprising growth and development under the excellent leadership of Deng Xiao-ping and President Jiang Zemin and the devoted efforts of the Chinese people. Since China declared a policy of reform and openness at the 11th plenary session of the 11th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party in 1978, it has become the seventh largest economy in the world through an annual average growth of nearly 10 percent.
The Republic of Korea and China, each of which has paved the way for economic self-reliance, have thus forged a great bilateral relationship in the six short years since the establishment of diplomatic ties. Steady efforts for the improvement of relations, including seven summit conferences and frequent exchanges of visits by leaders of both countries, are contributing to peace and stability as well as economic development in the Northeast Asian region.
In particular, active economic exchanges have boosted bilateral trade 3.7 times since the establishment of diplomatic relations. The Republic of Korea and China have now become at least the fourth largest trade partner to each other. Right now, Chinese goods, ranging from agricultural to industrial products, are accessible everywhere in Korea. Meanwhile, several thousand Korean companies are doing business in China.
In fact, some people in Korea regard China only as a competitor as they watch the rapid growth of the Chinese economy. However, I hold a different opinion. I believe that when one country develops, an opportunity will be given to its neighbor to develop together with it in mutual cooperation and competition.
Professors and students,
There are only 400 days left to the year 2000. We are living in the middle of the greatest revolutionary changes in the history of mankind. We are facing a knowledge and information revolution after going through five great revolutions: the emergence of human beings followed by the agricultural, urban, ideological and industrial revolutions.
In fact, information, communications and transportation networks, which are developing practically every day, have opened an age of the global village in name and substance. The globalized economic system is rendering national boundaries meaningless. Nationalism and national economies, which have continued since the industrial revolution, are rapidly changing to globalism and a global economy.
With computers alone, the entire world is now able to exchange real time information and carry on economic activities.
Amid such a trend, the time has come for all nations to tackle such diverse problems as economic crises and poverty, development, protection of the environment, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, drugs and terrorism. These are no longer problems effecting a single nation; no country is free of them. Neither can they be resolved by the efforts of any one nation.
That is why all nations should cooperate for their common interests on the one hand while competing against each other for their individual interests on the other. All of us who are living in the Northeast Asian region where the interests of the largest world powers--namely, the United States, Japan, China and Russia--as well as South and North Korea converge must forge the future through well-meaning competition and cooperation, with an understanding that we all share a common destiny.
Professors and students,
The foreign currency crisis that started in Southeast Asia last year has escalated into a crisis in all of Asia, including the Republic of Korea. As a result, a dark cloud has begun to cast its shadow over Asia's rapid economic growth that had surprised the world.
The economic crisis in the Republic of Korea was brought on by the collusion between politicians and businessmen, government-controlled financing, and corruption that emerged in the process of pushing a growth- above-all-else economic policy. Determined to rebuild the economy from the bottom, we are carrying out reform in four major areas: financial institutions, businesses, labor and the public sector. Such reforms are making considerable progress.
The Korean economy will begin to recover from the second half of next year when the results of reform are expected to show and will experience substantial development from 2000. This is not just hopeful thinking on our part but a common evaluation of the experts and world organizations such as the International Monetary Fund, who have been keeping an eye on the process of reform in Korea.
Without the cooperation of international organizations and other countries, including China, however, the Republic of Korea would not have been able to avoid much greater suffering. In particular, China resisted the chain of devaluation of currencies in other countries and overcame outside pressure to devalue the yuan, despite its own economic difficulties. It can be said that China's contribution was great indeed. I highly value this courageous decision that has contributed greatly to the stability of the world economy in general and the Asian economy in particular.
Distinguished professors and students,
I am firmly convinced that expansion of bilateral cooperation between the Republic of Korea and China will greatly contribute to our efforts to open a broad road toward new development and prosperity for both our countries by overcoming the economic difficulties we are experiencing now.
As you know, our two economies are mutually complementary and have high growth potentials. We could seize upon greater opportunities for joint development if we expand trade and investment in various fields including industry, information and communications, energy, and science and technology.
Moreover, China has a grand plan to build a new China by developing its industrial structure into a value-added and technology- intensive industry, expanding social overhead capital and accelerating urban construction. I believe that the Republic of Korea, more than any other county, can positively cooperate with and contribute to such efforts.
I regard China as a genuine friend and earnestly hope that my current visit will provide an opportunity for our two economies to cooperate further.
Professors and students,
What is most important for both our countries in preparing for the 21st century is none other than peace and stability in Northeast Asia. Through our historical experience, the peoples of the Republic of Korea and China know better than others that there cannot be development or prosperity without peace and stability.
The establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Korea and China six years ago contributed greatly to peace and stability in Northeast Asia. However, despite such progress, the situation in the region is still uncertain. The Korean Peninsula still remains a Cold-War zone. Territorial disputes within the region and military tension are not matters for easy solution. And there still remain many seeds of conflict, including trade disputes. In particular, the recent launching of a booster rocket by North Korea has created the possibility of an arms race among the nations in the region.
Despite these facts, however, Northeast Asia remains the only region in the world where there is no regional cooperative system for the maintenance of peace. When we think about what is currently needed in Northeast Asia, namely, cooperation for the resolution of conflicts and the maintenance of peace and promotion of development within the region, we cannot but feel the need for the establishment of a cooperative regional organization.
We must now provide the framework for cooperation to turn the 21st century into a millennium of coexistence and coprosperity for Northeast Asia. The region must be safeguarded from such weapons of mass destruction as nuclear bombs and missiles. I have no doubt that the great Chinese people and the Chinese Government will respond, without fail, to the expectations of the people of Asia and the world.
The key to peace and stability in Northeast Asia is peace on the Korean Peninsula. The Republic of Korea has expressed its firm intention of promoting peace and cooperation on the Korean Peninsula. When I was inaugurated as President of the Republic, I enunciated three main principles of our policy toward North Korea. First, we will not tolerate any armed provocation; second, we will not unify the country by absorbing the North; and third, the South and North should be reconciled and cooperate with each other. The position of our Government on these points is firm.
The international community is not sparing support for this position and our efforts.
In the settlement of peace on the Korean Peninsula, the role of China can't be emphasized enough. China has diplomatic relations with both the Republic of Korea and North Korea. In fact, China is playing an active and important role in the Four-Party Meeting to Promote Peace on the Korean Peninsula, as I requested it do here two years ago. I will ask China once again to play an even more active role in the Four-Party Meeting to set up a peace structure on the Korean Peninsula.
Professors and students,
We will never harm or invade North Korea. North Korea, too, should take the same attitude toward the South. Peace on the Korean Peninsula is also absolutely necessary to the national interests of China. I expect China's active and constructive role to that end.
Of late, I am actively supporting efforts to push economic cooperation between South and North Korea, including a sightseeing tour of Mt. Kumgangsan arranged through an agreement between a South Korean company and the North Korean Government. Furthermore, I am encouraging cultural and religious personalities and members of the press to visit North Korea. A considerable number of people are going there at present. I believe all these can be linked to the intention to relax tension and promote reconciliation and cooperation on the Korean Peninsula. I hope you will give us active support and encouragement.
Professors and students of Beijing University,
As I have already pointed out, our two countries have had the closest interaction historically of any two nations. Our relations are fraught with limitless possibilities for common prosperity through cooperation.
President Jiang and I agreed at our summit to build a cooperative partnership between our two countries for the 21st century. This means that cooperation, which has been largely economic until now, will be expanded in all areas. We reached this agreement because we are firmly convinced that further expanded cooperation between our two countries promises a better future for our peoples, contributes to peace and prosperity in Northeast Asia, and actively prepares for developments in the age of globalization of the 21st century.
Students,
I really hope that the young people of the Republic of Korea and China, supported by the comprehensive partnership of our two countries, will enter the world stage as main players in the 21st century. You and young Koreans have plenty of potential to fulfill such a role. March forward hand in hand. The leaders of your Government and I will willingly carry out our role of a bridge for you.
I will actively encourage and care for the young people of China, as much as I do Korean youths, as you share cultural roots with us.
I hope that all of you, as pioneers of a new age, will be the main players in the construction of a China that will safeguard world peace and promote human development, as spelled out in the Constitution of the People's Republic of China. At the same time, I pray for the everlasting development of Beijing University and your country.
Thank you
This
material is produced independently for NTI by the James Martin
Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of
International Studies and does not necessarily reflect the
opinions of and has not been independently verified by NTI or
its directors, officers, employees, agents. Copyright © 2007 by
MIIS.
