 President Lee Myung-bak, right, escorted by his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao, inspects an honor guard during a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Monday. Lee held a summit with Hu over a possible free trade agreement between the two countries and is scheduled to meet with Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao during his three-day state visit. / AP-Yonhap |
By Kang Hyun-kyung
BEIJING —— South Korea and China will attempt to start official negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) “in one or two months,” a Cheong Wa Dae official said Monday.
President Lee Myung-bak and Chinese President Hu Jintao agreed to launch the talks as soon as Seoul finishes domestic preparations, which could take up to two months. China can start talks immediately.
During a briefing, Kim Tae-hyo, presidential secretary on external strategies, said negotiations will be conducted in two stages.
The first stage covers agriculture and fishery products, areas that China has an advantage in price over South Korean farmers and fishermen, who fear an FTA will strengthen Beijing’s hand.
The second stage covers commodity products.
Kim said that Lee and Hu also exchanged views on North Korea after the death of Kim Jong-il, which was announced on Dec. 19 last year.
President Lee appreciated China’s continued efforts to convince Pyongyang to believe that it will get benefits, if it seeks economic reform and opens up to the outside world.
In return, Hu took note of Lee’s calm and mature reaction to the North at a time when a power transition is underway.
The Chinese leader vowed to play a role in helping the two Koreas open dialogue.
Chinese fishermen’s illegal fishing near the maritime border in the West Sea was also on the agenda. Lee and Hu agreed to make joint efforts to prevent tragic incidents caused by Chinese fishermen illegally trawling in waters near the maritime border in the West Sea.
Lee called on China to take effective measures to prevent the illegal fishing in the South Korean waters.
Hu said Beijing will beef up efforts to educate Chinese fishermen. In December, South Korean coastguard Lee Cheong-ho was killed by a Chinese captain while searching an illegal fishing boat in the West Sea.
hkang@koreatimes.co.kr
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