Chinese special envoy attends late former S Korean president's funeral

• Source: Xinhua
• [08:11 August 24 2009]
• Comments

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak (R) shakes hands with Chinese special envoy Tang Jiaxuan at the Seigadai Palace in Seoul, Aug. 23, 2009. Tang Jiaxuan will attend the state funeral for Kim Dae-jung in Seoul. (Xinhua/Lui Siu Wai)

China is ready to work with South Korea to strengthen communication and expand mutually beneficial cooperation so as to continue to enrich the content of the bilateral strategic partnership and push for fast and stable growth of bilateral ties, Tang said.

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak expressed thanks for Tang's attendance at Kim's funeral.

After former President Kim passed away, Chinese leaders sent messages of condolences, for which people from all walks of life in South Korea express deep gratitude, Lee said.

He asked Tang to convey his best regards and wishes to President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao and other Chinese leaders.

Lee said his country attaches great importance to its relations with China. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties, remarkable progress has been made in cooperation between the two countries in various areas, economic cooperation in particular, he said.

South Korea will join hands with China to make continued efforts to strengthen cooperation in regional and international affairs and further enrich the content of the strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries, he said.

President Kim died of pneumonia-related complications on Tuesday after he was admitted to a Seoul hospital on July 13.

The funeral came after a six-day mourning period, during which praise and condolences for the late president flooded in from around the world.

The state funeral for the late former President Kim Dae-jung was held at the nation's parliament Sunday afternoon with some 24,000 politicians, citizens and foreign delegates invited to the ceremony.

Some 100,000 South Koreans gathered around the nation's parliament to bid last farewell to the late former president.