Taipei, Sept. 17 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian called Wednesday for closer cooperation between the Republic of China and South Korea in safeguarding peace and stability in Asia.
Chen made the appeal while meeting with David Cho, pastor of Seoul's Youido Church, the world's largest church.
Describing peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and on the Korean peninsula as a pillar of further development and prosperity in Asia, Chen said that his administration is working to normalize relations with mainland China in an effort to maintain the peace across the Taiwan Strait.
Chen also reiterated that the ROC government supports a nuclear-free Korean peninsula and looks forward to seeing a peaceful resolution of the disputes between the two Koreas in order to maintain regional security and stability. "We are very concerned about the situation on the Korean peninsula, " Chen said. " We do not like the nuclear arms development programs on the peninsula and hope that all parties involved will resolve their disputes through peaceful dialogue."
Touching on Taiwan-South Korea relations, Chen said the two countries have traditionally maintained close relations, particularly in the trade and economic fields.
Chen said he hopes that senior officials on both sides can strengthen the exchanges of visits and resume an annual ministerial-level economic conference to boost bilateral cooperation. The annual event has been suspended since Seoul switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1992. "The increasingly closer economic and trade exchanges between Taiwan and South Korea demonstrate once again the importance and urgency of promoting an early resumption of direct Taipei-Seoul air links under the principles of dignity, equality and reciprocity, " Chen told his guests.
Noting that there are several influential and outstanding entrepreneurs in the South Korean delegation, Chen said he is hopeful that their visit will help boost economic and trade cooperation between the industrial and business sectors of the two countries.