Chapter 5 Chapter 5: To Seoul

The first time I went to Seoul was in November 1991 to attend the third ministerial meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation held there.At that time, we had just completed the procedures to join the organization and attended the meeting for the first time.According to the usual practice, APEC holds a plenary meeting every year, and each member delegation is led by the ministers of foreign affairs, economy and trade. Li Lanqing, who was the minister of foreign trade and economic cooperation at the time, and I led a delegation to Seoul to attend the meeting. The appearance of the Chinese foreign minister in Seoul was unprecedented at the time.There have been no official exchanges between China and South Korea since the end of World War II in 1945, not to mention the intense confrontation during the Korean War.Although Korean tourists can be seen everywhere in China today, and Chinese citizens are also free to travel to Seoul, until the early 1990s, South Korea was still a "forbidden zone" for China, and few people had been there.

On November 12, the civil aviation charter flight of the Chinese delegation flew to Seoul and landed at Gimpo Airport.At that time, China and South Korea had no diplomatic relations, let alone flights.Our chartered flight did not stop in South Korea, and we returned to Beijing immediately. When the meeting is over, we will pick up the delegation back home. We were greeted by the Korean side at the airport.The South Korean side arranged for the delegation to get off the plane and get on the car directly, and accompanied us to the city.It turned out that the South Korean side did not allow South Korean and foreign journalists to interview at the airport, considering that the Chinese foreign minister came to South Korea for the first time, and worried that too many reporters would affect the order at the airport.

In fact, media reporters from various countries were waiting at the largest Shilla Hotel in Seoul where the Chinese delegation was going to stay. When we arrived at Shilla Hotel, as soon as we entered the lobby, we were surrounded by reporters who had already been waiting there.The lights flickered, the cameras took aim, and long and short microphones stretched out together. I saw photographers grabbing the shots, TV reporters recording videos, and text reporters asking questions in a hurry.I remember that there were also a few female reporters from Taiwan who kept talking loudly.What the reporters are most concerned about is not China's accession to APEC, but whether there will be any changes in China-ROK relations.At that time, people's voices were noisy and chaotic, and they could not hear the questions clearly, nor could they answer the questions at all.I thanked the reporters and told them that we would have a chance to meet again, and then, under the guidance of the Korean staff, I barely squeezed into the elevator.No, the reporters had a way to chase us all the way to the floor where we lived, and blocked the door of the suite, making it impossible for us to get in and out.Seeing this situation, the Korean reception staff sealed off the floor where we lived, and full-time guards guarded it day and night to maintain order in case of problems, and at the same time ensure that we can enter and exit normally.

The ministerial meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) went very smoothly. Lee Sang-ok, foreign minister of South Korea, and the foreign ministers of other members spoke for the first time at the meeting, and they all used accurate language to inform the three new members (the People's Republic of China, Chinese Taipei, and Hong Kong) that they would join APEC welcomed it.I also made a statement at the meeting, thanking members for their support.I said that the entry of the People's Republic of China, Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong into APEC is an important development in the process of APEC.I also applaud South Korea's efforts as hosts to make this arrangement a reality.

During the meeting, the South Korean side kept its promise and did not arrange for the Taiwan "ambassador" in Seoul to participate in any activities, including the presidential welcome banquet. It took a lot of trouble for China to join APEC. The idea of ​​establishing APEC was first proposed by Australian Prime Minister Hawke when he visited Seoul in early 1989. The main purpose was to strengthen the economic ties and cooperation between the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other countries with East Asia.At first, Australia hoped for China's support, so it sent a special envoy to visit China.However, after the political turmoil in Beijing in 1989, some Western countries, such as Australia and the United States, changed their attitude.China did not attend the first ministerial conference in Australia that year and the second ministerial conference in Singapore the following year.However, Asia-Pacific economic cooperation is unimaginable without China's participation.China is a big country with a vast market and extensive economic ties with the Asia-Pacific region, and its economy has maintained a high-speed, strong and sustained growth.All members of APEC recognize that China must be invited to participate in APEC.In the joint statement adopted at its second ministerial meeting, there is such a passage:

"Ministers recognized that the three economies of the People's Republic of China, Taiwan and Hong Kong are of particular importance to the Asia-Pacific region, both in terms of their current economic activities and for the future prosperity of the region; The APEC meeting was appropriate; ministers agreed that consultations should continue with the three parties to arrive at an arrangement that both the three parties and existing APEC members could agree to, allowing the three parties to join APEC as early as possible at the Seoul meeting." Indonesia, which is negotiating with China on the resumption of diplomatic relations, is a member of APEC and first informed us about the situation.Subsequently, South Korea, which will host the third ministerial meeting, began to send people to conduct private consultations with China.

The reason why China's accession to APEC is relatively complicated is that it has to deal with the name and status issues of Taiwan and Hong Kong joining at the same time. APEC is different from the United Nations and other international organizations attended by sovereign states. Its members are called economies, which are forums for discussing economic issues. They do not hang the national flags and national emblems of members during meetings. Therefore, Hong Kong and Taiwan can serve as economic entities. body to join. We put forward the basic principles to solve this problem, that is: under the premise of one China, the People's Republic of China joins as a sovereign state, and Taiwan and Hong Kong join as regional economies.

In order to resolve the issue of China's accession before the Seoul meeting, South Korea has shown great enthusiasm.Although South Korea maintained "diplomatic relations" with Taiwan at that time, it had considered that establishing diplomatic relations with China would be beneficial to South Korea in the light of future economic development and political structure changes in East Asia.Therefore, it has become an important goal of the South Korean government's foreign policy to take advantage of the host country's convenient conditions to actively promote the resolution of China's accession issue and to promote exchanges with China.

At that time, South Korean diplomats were not allowed to visit China, but we made an exception and asked South Korean Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs (i.e. Assistant Minister) Lee Si-young to come to Beijing many times to discuss solutions with us in his capacity as the chairman of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Senior Officials Meeting. Through him, the situation is communicated to other members for advice.Li Shirong also went back and forth to Taiwan and Hong Kong many times to deal with and negotiate with them. The negotiation process was arduous.The reason for this is not that South Korea and APEC members have any different opinions on the principle of distinguishing sovereign countries and regional economies, but mainly because Taiwan is obstructing it.

Taiwan insists on "equal status" in APEC.In terms of appellation, they insist on not agreeing to use the name "Taiwan, China" we originally proposed; they are unwilling to accept the arrangement that their "foreign minister" is not allowed to attend the meeting, and they are still unwilling to directly discuss with us on these issues.This made the negotiations run into obstacles, and the problem could not be resolved for a while. Li Shirong shuttled back and forth between the three places, passed messages back and forth, and had to design a compromise plan that was acceptable to all parties. The degree of difficulty can be imagined.Things have not progressed until later, after Li Shirong is said to have issued an ultimatum to Taiwan that "if Taiwan refuses to accept the compromise, the People's Republic of China and Hong Kong will be allowed to join first", Taiwan showed an attitude of "knowing the current affairs" , had to make concessions.

After six rounds of negotiations, which took more than nine months, we finally found a solution that we think is suitable, acceptable to Taiwan and Hong Kong, and unanimously approved by other members. On October 2, 1991, Qin Huasun, director of the International Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Li Shirong of South Korea signed a memorandum of understanding in New York on the simultaneous entry of the three parties into APEC. A clear definition of the level of participation in the activity.Taiwan should use the name "Chinese Taipei (CHINESE TAIBEI)", and only the minister in charge of economic affairs can attend the meeting, and its "foreign minister" or "deputy foreign minister" cannot participate in the meeting. APEC has also signed memorandums of understanding with the same content as Taiwan and Hong Kong.At that time, we also reached an agreement with the South Korean side that the Taiwan "ambassador" in Seoul could not participate in the activities of the third ministerial meeting.This cleared the way for the Chinese delegation to attend the Seoul Ministerial Conference. On the afternoon of the day we arrived in Seoul, according to the schedule, President Roh Tae-woo met with the member ministers at the Blue House. We arrived on time, climbed dozens of high and wide steps, and entered the meeting hall.The guests stood up in protocol order. At this time, the Protocol Officer of the Presidential Palace told me privately that the President asked me to stay after the group meeting and that he would meet alone. Although Roh Tae-woo came from a military background, he is relatively moderate and has a firm attitude on the issue of establishing diplomatic relations with China.He took office as the President of South Korea in February 1988. After taking office, according to the changes in the international situation and the situation on the Korean Peninsula, he clearly stated that for the peace and stability of the Peninsula, he would establish diplomatic relations with socialist countries such as China, the Soviet Union, and Eastern Europe during his term of office. Call it the "Northern Policy". In October 1988, South Korea successfully hosted the Seoul Olympics, expanding its international influence while also loosening tensions with China, the Soviet Union, and Eastern European countries by hosting sports delegations from these countries. In early 1989, Hungary, as a socialist country, took the lead in breaking the taboo and establishing diplomatic relations with South Korea.By the time the Soviet Union established diplomatic relations with South Korea in September 1990, most Eastern European countries had normalized their diplomatic relations with South Korea. Although Roh Tae-woo tried many ways to improve relations with China, he has made little progress.At that time, there was only a little more than a year left in his term of office, so he was more anxious, and naturally he would not let go of the excellent opportunity of the Chinese foreign minister to attend an international conference in Seoul. After the group meeting, Foreign Minister Li Xiangyu led me to another quaint reception room, and all the pre-determined escorts had arrived.President Roh Tae-woo, dressed in a navy blue suit, walked into the reception room and shook hands with everyone. After taking his seat, President Roh Tae-woo first welcomed the Chinese delegation to Seoul and congratulated China on joining APEC.Then, he went straight to the point and talked about the relationship between the two countries.He said that South Korea and China are separated by a sea and have had a long history of exchanges since ancient times. The west coast of South Korea and the eastern part of Shandong Peninsula in China are really close friends.It's just that in modern times, Korea and China have been isolated from each other for decades, which is regrettable and unnatural.Fortunately, the relationship between the two countries has improved in recent years. In 1986 and 1988, Chinese sports delegations came to Seoul to participate in the Asian Games and Olympic Games. Since then, bilateral trade exchanges have also begun, and the Korean side is happy and satisfied.Although South Korea has established diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries, the relationship between South Korea and China should be closer.For the peace and stability of the Korean peninsula, as well as the peace and development of the Asia-Pacific region, South Korea sincerely hopes to improve relations with China and establish diplomatic relations at an early date. During the conversation, Lu Tae-woo was always smiling and elegant.There is a reason why he specifically mentioned the Shandong Peninsula.He always believed that he was a descendant of the Lu surname in Shandong. When he visited China later, he went to Shandong to find his roots. I thank him for the meeting and commend the ROK for its preparations for the APEC ministerial meeting.Then, I said that historically, China and South Korea have a long history of exchanges; geographically, China and South Korea are close neighbors.The current abnormal relationship was formed after World War II.We hope that the North and the South on the Korean Peninsula will coexist peacefully and strengthen exchanges.The trade relationship between China and South Korea has made great progress in recent years. I hope that both parties will work together to make it develop better.At the same time, it is also hoped that the United States and Japan will improve their relations with North Korea. Having said that, the meaning is also clearly expressed. I did not directly answer the question of the establishment of diplomatic relations raised by Roh Tae-woo. An hour after the meeting, South Korean TV station immediately made a report.The next day, every Korean newspaper published a large photo of Roh Tae-woo shaking hands with me on the front page.The media did not report on the content of the conversation, but it was generally commented that this was a "turning point" in Sino-South Korean relations. The next day, I had breakfast with Foreign Minister Lee Sang-ok.This activity was arranged before the trip, and the Korean side was very happy about it.Prior to this, when I went to the United Nations for meetings every year, the South Korean foreign minister proposed to arrange a meeting with me, but we never agreed.It was not until September of this year, when North Korea and South Korea joined the United Nations at the same time, that I met Li Xiangyu as a courtesy while attending the United Nations General Assembly.This is the first time that the foreign ministers of China and South Korea sat down to have breakfast and exchange views. During breakfast, the two sides first exchanged views on affairs-related issues. Then, like Roh Tae-woo, Lee Sang-ok changed the subject and talked about the relationship between the two countries.He pointed out that the trade volume between South Korea and China last year was 3.8 billion US dollars, and this year it may exceed 5 billion US dollars.If it will take time to establish diplomatic relations, he suggested upgrading the non-governmental trade offices established by the two sides to official institutions to adapt to the rapid development of bilateral trade.I said that in the long run, the relationship between the two countries should develop in this direction, but for now it is better to use non-governmental means.I suggest that people from both sides, including officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, can contact each other and maintain communication.Li Xiangyu said that South Korea understands that the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Korea and China needs to be carried out according to China's preparations, but the South Korean side hopes to realize it earlier.I said, there is a Chinese proverb that goes, "Success will come when conditions are ripe." Another interesting thing happened that night.South Korean Youth and Sports Minister Park Zheyan has repeatedly asked to come to see me.I didn't want to arrange it at first, but the other party kept calling and asking again and again, and said that he had visited China many times and had many friends in China, including my younger brother Qian Qi, who was the deputy mayor of Tianjin at the time and was in charge of culture, education and sports. During the international sports events organized by Tianjin, he received visiting guests.At about 11 o'clock at night, Park Zheyan came to my room with his assistant, and after some greetings, he proposed that he would like to establish a secret communication channel with us and work together for the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.He said that the meeting tonight was agreed by the president.In order to participate in the presidential campaign, he will soon resign as a minister, and the normalization of relations between South Korea and China is one of his main political tasks.He also took out two golden keys, one large and one small, and gave the big one to me and the small one to my younger brother, saying that he hoped to use them to open the door to the relationship between the two countries. In those few years, there were always quite a few high-ranking people in South Korea who obtained other paper visas (note) by beating around the bush, visited Beijing privately, and proposed to our host unit that they were willing to do their part for the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, regardless of the nature of the host unit. .It can be seen that the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and South Korea has become a trend in South Korea at that time, and there are many people who are willing to be lobbyists.It's just that the personnel are complicated, and it's hard to tell the truth from the fake at the moment. What I said to Pu Zheyan could only be ignored at that time.I told him that although China and South Korea have not established diplomatic relations, the officials have already contacted each other, and there is no need to establish any secret channels.After returning to China, I asked the staff to send the two golden keys to the People's Bank of China for appraisal, and found that they were pure gold. Now they are registered and kept in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which can be used as a small historical footnote of the development of China-South Korea relations. The difficulty in establishing diplomatic relations between China and South Korea does not lie in bilateral relations, but in the relationship between China and North Korea, that is, how to make North Korea, which has a traditional friendship with China, gradually understand and accept this foreign policy adjustment. Looking back at history, China and South Korea have been isolated for a long time and have deep historical roots.As early as the 1930s and 1940s, North Korean revolutionaries such as Kim Il Sung joined the Anti-Japanese Allied Forces in Northeast China and fought against Japanese aggression together with the Chinese people. It was during this period that the traditional friendship between China and North Korea began to form.At the end of World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union took the "38th Parallel" as the boundary, and each stationed troops in the north and south of the peninsula. In August 1948, the Republic of Korea was established; in September of the same year, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea was established. On October 1, 1949, New China was established, and six days later, on October 6, it announced the establishment of diplomatic relations with North Korea. In June 1950, the Korean War broke out.After the war, China and the Soviet Union supported North Korea, and the United States and Japan supported South Korea. The armistice line was roughly similar to the "38th Parallel", forming a situation of North-South confrontation that has continued to this day. Since the mid-to-late 1970s, with the development and changes of the international situation, many countries proceeded from reality, recognized the existence of North Korea and South Korea, and established diplomatic relations with them.Although the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries did not recognize South Korea, they also began to interact with South Korea in international multilateral events, such as sports competitions and international conferences.By the early 1980s, nearly 100 countries had established diplomatic relations with North Korea and South Korea at the same time.At the same time, some notable changes took place within the Korean peninsula. The hostile North and the South not only had contact, but also held high-level talks, and issued a joint statement in 1972 to eliminate foreign interference and promote national reunification. . From our domestic perspective, after the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Party, the national work center shifted to economic construction, and reform and opening up followed.Under such circumstances, how to actively carry out foreign activities, maximize the space for international exchanges, and create a favorable external environment for modernization has become an urgent problem facing diplomatic work. It is against this background that further easing tensions on the Korean peninsula, promoting peace talks between the North and the South, and loosening relations with its neighbor South Korea are on the agenda. According to changes in the situation, we have established new regulations, that is, any international organization entrusted by an international organization to organize an international event in the future, as long as China is also a member of the organization, it can send people to participate.Similarly, activities held in China can also allow South Korean personnel to come to China to participate.That is to say, in international multilateral activities, in accordance with international practice and the principle of reciprocity, we have changed our practice of not communicating with South Korea to create conditions for normal bilateral exchanges in the future. At that time, it was catching up with my country's consideration of bidding for the Asian Games.Over the years, with the improvement of our country's sports level, China has always wanted to host the Asian Games, and many Asian countries have the same wish.However, whether or not Korean sports teams can be allowed to participate in competitions in China has become an obstacle that must be overcome in China's bid to host the Asian Games.If a country refuses the entry of athletes from another Olympic Council of Asia to participate in competitions, the country is not eligible to apply for hosting the International Games at all. In August 1983, Beijing submitted an application to the Olympic Council of Asia to host the 11th Asian Games in 1990. At the same time, the Chinese Foreign Minister wrote to the Olympic Council of Asia to guarantee that all Asian countries including South Korea would be allowed to participate in the competition. Members of the Olympic Council enter the country to participate. Considering the relationship between China and the DPRK, we have notified the DPRK in time, and said that if the bid is successful, we welcome North Korea to send a sports delegation to participate. All members of the Olympic Council of Asia sent a delegation to attend the meeting. Comrade Deng Xiaoping has always been very concerned about the relationship between China and South Korea. In April 1985, when talking about the relationship between China and South Korea, Comrade Xiaoping said that the development of relations between China and South Korea is still necessary for us.First, it can do business, which is economically beneficial; second, it can make South Korea sever relations with Taiwan. From May to September 1988, when meeting with foreign guests, Comrade Xiaoping talked about the relationship between China and South Korea several times. He said that from China's point of view, the development of our relationship with South Korea is beneficial and harmless.Economically, it is beneficial to the development of both parties; politically, it is beneficial to the unification of China. In another conversation, he further said that when the time is ripe, the pace of developing economic and cultural exchanges with South Korea can be faster and more relaxed than originally considered.Developing non-governmental relations between China and South Korea is an important strategic pawn. It is of great significance to Taiwan, Japan, the United States, peace and stability on the peninsula, and Southeast Asia. At the same time, Comrade Xiaoping also talked about the need to be very cautious in doing this work, saying that this issue is very delicate, and it must be handled carefully, and the understanding of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea must be obtained. Under the guidance of Comrade Deng Xiaoping, we broke the years of imprisonment and loosened our relationship with South Korea in multilateral international activities, and the exchanges between the two delegations increased year by year. In 1986 and 1988, several hundred Chinese sports delegations participated in the Seoul Asian Games and the Seoul Olympic Games. When Beijing held the 11th Asian Games in 1990, both North Korea and South Korea sent delegations to participate, and North Korean Vice President Ri Jong-ok also attended the opening ceremony.For the first time, the North Korean and South Korean flags were raised over stadiums in Beijing. In terms of trade, after the adjustment of the policy towards South Korea, it has developed rapidly. In 1988, the trade volume between the two countries had exceeded 1 billion US dollars. With the substantial increase in trade volume, the indirect trade through Hong Kong is becoming less and less suitable.At this time, the two sides began to consider setting up non-governmental trade offices to facilitate the direct trade between China and South Korea. No, this issue has aroused intense attention from the North Korean side, until it alarmed the top leaders of both China and North Korea. In November 1988, when North Korean Foreign Minister Kim Yong-nam visited China, I talked with him about trade relations between China and South Korea, and told him that China was considering establishing non-governmental trade offices with South Korea.Later, the top leaders of the two sides exchanged views several times.The first time was in the second half of 1989, when Chairman Kim Il Sung came to Beijing, and General Secretary Jiang Zemin discussed this matter with him.In the second half of 1990, Chairman Kim Il Sung came to Shenyang and met with General Secretary Jiang again, and General Secretary Jiang raised this issue again.At this time, Chairman Kim fully understood China's position and agreed. In October 1990, the China International Chamber of Commerce and the Korea Trade Promotion Corporation reached an agreement on the mutual establishment of trade offices. In early 1991, both sides established trade offices in each other's capital. After the establishment of the trade office, another new problem was encountered, that is, the issue of North Korea and South Korea joining the United Nations. The United Nations is the largest governmental organization in the world, and only sovereign states can participate. The DPRK has opposed the North and the South joining the United Nations for many years, fearing that it would perpetuate the division of the Korean peninsula.At that time, North Korea and South Korea had only observer status in the United Nations.However, South Korea has been seeking to join the United Nations, and among the member states of the United Nations, more and more countries support South Korea's membership in the United Nations. In May 1991, Premier Li Peng visited North Korea and discussed this issue with the North Korean Prime Minister. He said that if South Korea once again raised the issue of joining the United Nations during the United Nations General Assembly this year, it would be difficult for China to oppose it. If North Korea wants to join, it may encounter difficulties.After hearing this, the North Korean Prime Minister did not express his position on the spot.Before the end of the visit, Chairman Kim Il Sung talked about this issue again when meeting with Premier Li Peng, saying that North Korea would coordinate and cooperate with China on this issue.Afterwards, a North Korean newspaper published a commentary stating that North Korea does not object to North and South Korea joining the United Nations at the same time. According to the agreement reached with the DPRK during Premier Li Peng's visit to the DPRK, China and the DPRK will continue to exchange views on the issue of North Korea's accession to the United Nations.For this reason, I visited Pyongyang from June 17 to 20 of this year, held talks with Foreign Minister Kim Yong Nam, and met Chairman Kim Il Sung.During the talks, Kim Yong-nam said that the DPRK cannot ignore South Korea's conspiracy to join the United Nations alone.In order to prevent the unfavorable situation in the United Nations, the DPRK decided to take active measures, apply for membership in the United Nations, and advocated a package solution between the North and the South.If the United States requests to discuss the applications of the North and the South separately, I hope China will firmly oppose it; if the United States vetoes the North, I hope China will also veto the South. At that time, the situation that the DPRK was most worried about was that South Korea's application to join the United Nations was successfully passed while North Korea's application was blocked.During the meeting, I introduced in detail the procedures for the United Nations to review North Korea and South Korea to join the United Nations at the same time, and said that we will assist all parties to do their work well and dispel the concerns of the DPRK side. When Chairman Kim met with me at Mt. Myohyang, he also specifically talked about joining the United Nations.He said, no matter what, the North and the South should strive for a package solution. If they are discussed separately, the United States may raise the issue of nuclear inspection and exercise its veto power. In that case, the situation of North Korea will be even more difficult.On the issue of the United Nations, North Korea will not make things difficult for China, and I hope China will not make things difficult for North Korea either. I explained to Chairman Kim that when the United Nations discussed this issue, there was a consensus that both the North and the South of the Korean Peninsula should join the United Nations at the same time, that is, this issue was proposed as a resolution, and the situation that the DPRK was worried about would not arise. In this way, on September 17, 1991, a resolution was passed at the United Nations General Assembly, and North Korea and South Korea joined the United Nations at the same time as full member states. After returning from the APEC meeting in Seoul, we began to study the issue of establishing diplomatic relations with South Korea. At that time, President Roh Tae-woo had only one year left in his term of office, and he was eager to establish diplomatic relations with China in order to realize the goal of the northern policy he proposed at the beginning of his term of office.Judging from the situation on the peninsula, the North and the South have joined the United Nations at the same time, and often participate in international conferences and sports competitions together.Internationally, more than 100 countries have established diplomatic relations with North Korea and South Korea at the same time.The conditions for the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and South Korea can be said to be basically mature. During the National People's Congress in March 1992, as usual, I held a press conference for Chinese and foreign journalists.At the press conferences over the years, foreign journalists often asked questions about whether there would be any changes in the relationship between China and South Korea.My answer has always been that China's position has not changed and we will not have any official relationship with South Korea.This year, my answer has changed. I said that we have no timetable for establishing diplomatic relations with South Korea.Sensitive foreign journalists should be able to learn from this. In April of this year, the 48th annual meeting of the Economic and Social Council for Asia and the Pacific was held in Beijing, and South Korean Foreign Minister Lee Sang-ok came to attend.He is the chairman of the 47th annual meeting. According to international practice, I held talks with him at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse and hosted a banquet for him. During this meeting, apart from exchanging views on issues of concern, I talked with Lee Sang-ok alone about China-ROK relations.I told him that it is not yet ripe for China and South Korea to formally negotiate the establishment of diplomatic relations, but the two sides can first establish communication channels to contact on issues of bilateral relations.Li Xiangyu immediately agreed.The two sides agreed to appoint a chief representative at the deputy ministerial level and a deputy representative at the ambassadorial level. The deputy representative will lead the working team and start meetings and negotiations in Beijing and Seoul as soon as possible.Before this meeting, the South Korean side had inquired about our position in many ways. They wanted to make a breakthrough through this meeting of foreign ministers, but they were also worried that it would be counterproductive if they took too big a step.Now, the stone in their hearts has finally fallen to the ground. After the foreign ministers' meeting, China and South Korea quickly appointed chief representatives and deputy representatives. The chief representative on the Chinese side was Deputy Foreign Minister Xu Dunxin, and the South Korean side was Deputy Foreign Minister Noh Chang-hee.The working teams of the two sides are led by Chinese Ambassador Zhang Ruijie and South Korean Ambassador Kwon Byung-hyun, each with six or seven people. Negotiations began in May. In order to keep it secret, the South Korean side proposed to hold it in Beijing first, saying that in Seoul, there are too many eyes, and it will inevitably leak out. The first contact was arranged in Building 14 of Diaoyutai Hotel.This building is relatively secluded and not easy to be noticed by the outside world.The South Korean personnel came to Beijing through a third place separately, and after staying there, they didn't even go out of the building.In the first contact, our side originally wanted to have a general talk first, to get a feel for the idea of ​​the South Korean side, but the South Korean side was very anxious, and immediately raised the issue of discussing the establishment of diplomatic relations after the greetings.Therefore, from the very beginning of contact, the two sides talked about the establishment of diplomatic relations. We are also prepared for this, and put forward our principles for the establishment of diplomatic relations, demanding that the South Korean side break off diplomatic relations with Taiwan, abolish the treaty, and withdraw its embassy.The South Korean side initially disagreed, and bargained with us, imagining only reducing Taiwan's "embassy" to a "liaison office". Of course, we would not agree.Thus ended the first contact. The second negotiation is still held in Beijing.We reiterated the principle of establishing diplomatic relations. This time, the South Korean side made some concessions, but emphasized that because the relationship between South Korea and Taiwan has been going on for too long, we need to agree that South Korea and Taiwan can maintain a certain special relationship after the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and South Korea.We feel that this is the last card of the South Korean side. As long as we stick to the established policy, a breakthrough in the negotiation is possible.Therefore, we proposed to hold the third negotiation in Seoul, and the South Korean side agreed. In the third negotiation, the South Korean side accepted our principle of establishing diplomatic relations, and the two sides reached an agreement on the establishment of diplomatic relations, including an unpublished memorandum. The three negotiations took less than two months, and the work was completed at the end of June. It is only waiting for the chief representatives of the two sides to meet, initial the communiqué on the establishment of diplomatic relations, and determine the official signing and publication date by the foreign ministers. The establishment of diplomatic relations between China and South Korea has a positive impact on easing tensions on the Korean Peninsula and maintaining stability in the Asia-Pacific region.For this reason, when in contact with South Korea, we have always been careful to inform the North Korean side of the situation in a timely manner and strive for its understanding. In April 1992, before the contact between China and South Korea, Chairman Yang Shangkun went to Pyongyang to participate in the celebration of Chairman Kim Il Sung's 80th birthday. Entrusted by the Central Committee, Chairman Yang made a briefing to Chairman Kim and analyzed the international situation and our foreign relations. , told Chairman Kim that China is considering the issue of establishing diplomatic relations with South Korea, and at the same time stressed that we will continue to support the unification of North Korea.After hearing this, Chairman Kim said that the Korean peninsula is now in a delicate period, and he hopes that China can coordinate the relationship between China and South Korea and the relationship between North Korea and the United States, and asks China to give more consideration.After Chairman Yang returned home, he reported Chairman Kim Il Sung's opinion to the Central Committee. In June and July of this year, I accompanied Chairman Yang Shangkun to visit Africa. On July 12, when I returned to Beijing, General Secretary Jiang Zemin came to the Great Hall of the People to welcome us. After the welcome ceremony, General Secretary Jiang asked Chairman Yang and me to stay and discuss the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and South Korea in the Great Hall of the People.He said that after repeated weighing, in order to show respect to the DPRK to the greatest extent, the central government decided to let me go to Pyongyang to meet with Chairman Kim, convey his message, and inform us of our position on establishing diplomatic relations with South Korea. Time is pressing and there is no room for delay. After obtaining the consent of the DPRK, I took a special plane of the Air Force to Pyongyang three days later. This is not an easy diplomatic visit.On the special plane, I was not at ease all the time, wondering if the North Korean side could fully understand our position.Although Chairman Kim agreed to meet me, will the contents of our briefing make him feel sudden, and how will the DPRK react? The distance between Beijing and Pyongyang is very short. Before I had time to think about it, the special plane landed smoothly at Pyongyang Sunan Airport. Every time before visiting North Korea, the North Korean side organized a crowd to welcome them at the airport, and the atmosphere was warm.This time the plane stopped at a remote place at the airport, and only Foreign Minister Kim Yong Nam came to greet us. After shaking hands and exchanging greetings, Jin Yongnan told us that we still had to go to other places, and led us to a helicopter parked not far away. When I boarded the helicopter, I saw a small table inside. Jin Yongnan and I sat opposite each other, and other personnel sat on both sides.It is hot summer, and the helicopter is like a steamer, and the heat is unbearable. Not long after the helicopter flew, it landed by a huge lake.Comrades who were familiar with the situation told me that there is Chairman Kim’s villa here, and he often comes here to recuperate in summer. After getting off the plane, we were taken to a villa to rest. At about 11 am, Chairman Kim met with us in another tall villa.He greeted everyone at the entrance of the conference hall, shook hands with everyone, and then everyone sat across the large conference table. First of all, I would like to thank Chairman Jin for meeting us in his busy schedule, and convey the regards of General Secretary Jiang to him.Then, I conveyed General Secretary Jiang's message. On behalf of Comrade Deng Xiaoping and the comrades of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Jiang extended his high respect and best wishes to Chairman Jin.General Secretary Jiang pointed out that the relationship between the two parties and the two countries of China and the DPRK is currently developing well, and China is very happy and satisfied with this.The current international situation is volatile and may undergo major changes at any time.Under such circumstances, we should seize the opportunity to create a favorable international environment, develop ourselves, and strengthen our national strength.It is of great significance for the two parties and countries of China and the DPRK to respect and understand each other and to continuously enhance friendly and cooperative relations.With regard to the relationship between China and South Korea, after this period of changes in the international situation and the situation on the Korean Peninsula, we believe that the time has come for China and South Korea to negotiate the establishment of diplomatic relations.We believe that we will get your understanding and support for our consideration and decision.We will, as always, strive to develop the traditional friendship formed by the two parties and countries in the long-term struggles of China and the DPRK, support the socialist construction and independent peaceful reunification of the DPRK, promote the further relaxation of the situation on the peninsula, and promote the improvement and development of DPRK-US and DPRK-Japan relations. After hearing this, Chairman Jin pondered for a moment and said that he had heard General Secretary Jiang's message clearly.We understand that China decides its own foreign policy independently, autonomously and equally.我们仍将继续努力增进与中国的友好关系。我们将克服一切困难，继续自主地坚持社会主义、建设社会主义。金主席请我回国后转达他对邓小平和其他中央领导同志的问候。 金主席看了看我们带来的礼品，九龙戏珠玉雕和新鲜荔枝，就送客告别了。 在我的记忆中，这次会见，是金主席历次会见中国代表团中时间最短的，会见后，也没有按过去的惯例举行宴会招待。 在这关键的历史时刻，金日成主席着眼于中朝关系大局和朝鲜半岛的局势，理解了中方的立场，做出积极而明智的决定，表现出了老一代领导人的胸怀和眼光，不能不让人钦佩。 金永南外长陪我们简单吃了个午饭，我们就乘直升机返回平壤。这次平壤之行，安排是当天往返，专机正在机场等候。我们向主人告别后，就登上专机，直飞北京。 回到北京，已近下午5点，我们直接驱车去了中南海江总书记的办公室。江总书记正等在那里。我将情况详细地做了汇报。江总书记听后，问了几个问题，感到很满意。 这次中央派我去见金主席的任务，至此算是完成了。 1992年8月24日上午9时，我与韩国外长李相玉在钓鱼台国宾馆芳菲园正式签署了中韩建交公报。两国电视台现场向全世界进行了实况转播。国际媒体和舆论对此高度重视，迅速报道，并纷纷发表评论，表示祝贺。 中韩建交在国际上也受到广泛欢迎。惟独台湾气急败坏，指责韩国“忘恩负义”，并于前一天撤走在汉城的“大使馆”。 建交后一个月，即9月下旬，卢泰愚总统应杨尚昆主席的邀请访华。对方主要陪同人员中有李相玉外长，我特地从联合国赶回来，参加接待工作。第二年5月，我又应邀正式访问了韩国。当时，韩国政府刚换届，我和新外长韩升洲举行了会谈，并会见了新任总统金泳三。 转眼之间，中韩建交已经十多年了，两国关系的飞速发展，超出了预想。作为近邻，中韩两国领导人频繁互访，不断增进相互理解，推动了在各个领域的交流与合作。到2002年，两国贸易额突破了400亿美元，中国成为韩国的第三大贸易伙伴，而韩国则是我国的第五大贸易对象国。同时，韩国对华投资已超过100亿美元，并在继续扩大。在联合国等国际组织和国际活动中，双方的合作正在加强。在维护朝鲜半岛的和平与稳定和无核化方面，中韩也有着共同的语言。 2003年2月下旬，我再一次正式访问汉城，代表中国政府，参加了韩国新总统的就职典礼，分别会见了卸任总统金大中和新任总统卢武铉。 自中韩建交至今，韩国政府已几经更换，但中韩两国的关系，由于奠定了坚实的基础，一直在平稳地发展。