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Feature: Korean ginseng chicken soup, new buzzword in China-S.Korea cooperation

Xinhua, November 1, 2015 Adjust font size:

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Sunday expressed his wish to recommend "samgyetang," a traditional Korean ginseng chicken soup, and Korean kimchi, to the Chinese people.

As the premier made the remark while attending the closing ceremony of South Korea's "China Tourism Year" event in Seoul, the term "samgyetang" quickly attracts media attention and becomes a buzzword for the thriving bilateral cooperation.

Li, arriving here Saturday for a three-day official visit, witnessed the signing of 17 bilateral cooperation agreements in areas ranging from trade and economy, science and technology to people-to-people exchanges with South Korean President Park Geun-hye.

China and South Korea have enjoyed closer ties since President Park took office. In her first visit to China as president in June 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping met her twice in two days.

In September, Park attended the commemorations of the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II in Beijing, showing the common commitment of the two countries to regional peace and stability.

The signing of a free trade agreement (FTA) between the two nations in June also boosts bilateral ties. Under the FTA, South Korea will eliminate tariffs on 92 percent of all products from China within 20 years after the implementation, while Beijing will abolish tariffs on 91 percent of all Seoul goods.

The FTA, the largest bilateral free trade deal for China in terms of trade volume, covers 17 areas, including trade in goods and services, investment and trade rules as well as e-commerce and government procurement.

At Sunday's ceremony, the premier said the Chinese government encourages more Chinese to travel to South Korea, and at the same time welcomes more South Korean tourists to China, as China prepares to host the "South Korea Tourism Year" next year.

Statistics from organizers of the tourism year event show that over 100 flights and 30,000 tourists are now traveling between the two countries on a daily basis.

Amid slowed global economic recovery, the premier said tourism would not only promote growth and create jobs, but also stimulate consumption and boost confidence.

Li believed the tourism year could deepen mutual understanding between the two peoples, saying that it would further cement the solid foundation of the friendship between China and South Korea. Endi