Premier Wen meets ROK counterpart

BEIJING -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Sunday met with his counterpart from the Republic of Korea (ROK), Han Seung Soo, to discuss the Beijing Paralympic Games and bilateral ties.

Wen welcomed Han, who attended the opening ceremony of the Paralympics on Saturday, and thanked the ROK for its support of both the Beijing Olympics and Paralympics.

"ROK President Lee Myung-bak's presence at the Beijing Olympics and your attendance at the Paralympics showcased your country's support for Beijing's hosting of the two games," Wen said.

The two met in the central government compound known as Zhongnanhai in downtown Beijing.

"I hope the staging of the Paralympics will draw more attention to the situation of the disabled, spread love and promote friendship," Wen said.

Han said China managed to put on a successful Olympics in the wake of the 8.0-magnitude earthquake that devastated China's western province of Sichuan on May 12. The quake claimed nearly 70,000 lives, left 17,923 others missing and destroyed the homes of more than 10 million people.

Han attributed the success of the Olympics to China's excellent leadership and great people and wished a complete success for the Beijing Paralympics.

On the subject of bilateral ties, Wen said China-ROK high-level visits enhanced mutual trust and cemented the political foundation for a long-term, stable relationship.

Han echoed Wen's view, saying the ROK would like to work more closely with China to carry out any consensus reached by leaders of both nations.

On the economic front, Wen said China would like to step up cooperation on the environment, telecommunications, finance, logistics and energy with the ROK. Wen also pledged to accelerate the process of establishing a China-ROK Free Trade Area and share experience on industrial restructuring.

In response, Han said the ROK will expand comprehensive cooperation with China. He also hailed China's important role in promoting the six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue.