1. Foreign Minister Kim Sung-Hwan, who is visiting Ningbo, China, on April 7-8 for the 6th ROK-Japan-China Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, met with his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi on April 7. They exchanged views on ways to develop the ROK-China strategic cooperative partnership and other major bilateral issues as well as North Korea’s plan to launch a so-called “application” satellite and the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

2. The two sides recalled the agreement to take the bilateral relations to the next level on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic relations, reached during the visit of President Lee Myung-bak to China in January and also during the visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao to the ROK for the 2012 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit in March. They agreed to make efforts in this regard.

3. The two sides reaffirmed their willingness to start work on a ROK-China FTA at an early date and agreed to work together to start negotiations as soon as the ROK completes relevant domestic procedures.

4. The two sides also discussed in depth other pending bilateral issues, including the North Korean defector issue and illegal operations of Chinese fishing boats, and agreed to work closely together for their smooth resolution.

5. The two sides expressed concern over the plan of North Korea to launch a so-called “application” satellite, and agreed to exert continued diplomatic efforts to make the North refrain from carrying out such a provocative act and to cooperate closely in future responses.

                Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFAT

* unofficial translation