Sino-Korean provincial leaders vow to enhance cooperation in culture, environment

Provincial governors from China and the Republic of Korea agreed on Tuesday to deepen cooperation in the areas of culture, tourism and environmental protection.

The second meeting of Sino-Korean provincial governors was held in Beijing with the theme of "walking into the new era hand-in-hand" and discussed future cooperation on cultural exchange, tourism and combating climate change to promote bilateral relationships and mutual understanding.

It was co-hosted by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the Beijing municipal government and the Governors Association of South Korea. The first round was held in Inchon, South Korea in 2016.

Li Xiaolin, president of the friendship association, said she hoped the meeting could build a more pragmatic and efficient exchange platform for the development and mutual benefit of cities in both countries, and create more cooperation opportunities for local governments in the new era.

Park Won-soon, president of Korea's association and mayor of Seoul, said local governments from the two sides should enhance mutual understanding and actively solve common problems.

"Local governments from the two countries have signed more than 600 sister city agreements since the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Korea and China in 1992," he said. "Such exchanges can further promote development of friendly relations between the two countries."

Cheng Zhiming, vice-governor of Heilongjiang province, said Sino-Korean cultural tourism cooperation is not only a simple source of tourists and market exchanges, but a way to promote people's communication through cultural exchange and enhance overall competitive advantage through industrial cooperation.

He, as well as governors from Guizhou province and South Korea's Jeollanam-do, proposed to establish a cooperative mechanism to share experiences, develop tourism products and design travel routes that can meet the needs of tourists from both countries.

Governors from Jiangxi province and Gyeongbuk suggested more cooperation on traditional culture, especially the Confucian culture.

Strengthening protection of the environment and the response to the climate change is another focus of discussion, where governors shared experience on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing the use of clean energy and controlling air pollution.

A joint declaration was achieved after the meeting, as local governments from China and South Korea will further strengthen cooperation in environmental protection, tourism and people-to-people communication.

The next biennial meeting will be held in 2020 in South Korea.