The fifth G20 summit opened in Seoul on September 11, 2010. Jeon Tae-Dong, consul general of the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea (ROK) in Xi an said in a recent interview that Korean enterprises will shift their focus to central and western China, and Korea will conduct more in-depth cooperation in such areas as trade, culture and tourism with Xi an as well as Shaanxi province.
Korean Enterprises Eye Western Development of China
As Jeon Tae-Dong said, all the previous G20 summits focused on how to get out of the financial crisis, while the Seoul summit stresses Shared Growth beyond the Crisis . With the initiation of the 12th Five-Year Plan Period (2011-2015), the start of a new round of western development and the development of Guanzhong-Tianshui Economic Zone, the Republic of Korea is paying more and more attention to the development of central and western China, which will bring more opportunities for the in-depth cooperation between Korea and Shaanxi province as well as Xi an.
The leading role of Xi an in the Guanzhong-Tianshui Economic Zone has aroused the Korean enterprises interest for investment, and a lot of large-scale Korean enterprises and groups have paid visits to Xi an recently, Jeon added. Moreover, the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade recently appointed two more consuls for its consulate general in Xi an to facilitate the work here, which showed the great attention of Korean government for Xi an and Shaanxi province.
60,000 Koreans Traveled to Xi an in the First Half of 2010
Since its founding, the Consulate General of ROK in Xi an has been promoting the development cooperation between Korea and Shaanxi &Xi an. It has staged such large-scale exchange events as Korea-Shaanxi Forum on Economic Cooperation and Korea-Shaanxi Fair on Energy Conversion, Utilization and Cooperation, and established the Korean pavilion for the West China Cultural Industries Fair, providing platforms for cooperation and information sharing of the two sides in such areas as economy, energy and culture.
As Consul General Jeon Tae-Dong said, with the consistent efforts of local governments and the Korean Consulate General in Xi an, increasing Korean enterprises and Korean people came to Xi an and Shaanxi for investment, business survey and tourism. In the first half of this year, the number of Korean tourists who have visited Xi an reached 61,600, an increase of 94% over the same period last year and ranking the third place among the foreign tourists in Shaanxi province.
By the end of this October, the consulate general has issued about 8,000 visas, an increase of 54% over the same period last year.
Providing Assistance for Shaanxi Enterprises Aiming Korean Market
The Korean Consulate General in Xi an will continue to invite relevant Korean organizations and enterprises to attend such events as the Investment and Trade Fair for Cooperation between East and West China, the China Yangling Agricultural Hi-Tech Fair and the West China Cultural Industries Fair, improve the environment for dialogue between Korea and Shaanxi, and increase the awareness of Korean public for the development of Shaanxi and Xi an, said Consul General Jeon Tae-Dong.
Meanwhile, the consulate general will introduce relevant Chinese policies on investment and the advantages of Guanzhong-Tianshui Economic Zone to Korean enterprises and encourage them to invest in Xi an. Moreover, the consulate general will further promote the exchanges and cooperation of culture and youths between Korea and Shaanxi.
The Korean government welcomes foreign enterprises including Chinese ones to invest in Korea, said Jeon. The Korean Consulate General in Xi an will provide necessary consulting services to Chinese enterprises aiming at Korean market.