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SUBJECT [Mar 26] 25th US-Korea-Japan Trilateral Legislative Exchange Program, Chinese President meets Speakers of Italian upper and lower house
DATE 2019-03-26
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PHOTO: TV Seoul. Participants of the 25th Korea-US-Japan Trilateral Legislative Exchange Program (TLEP) held on March 22, 2019 with Speaker Hee-sang Moon (front row, center).

 

 

Delegations from Korea, US, and Japan participated in the 25th Trilateral Exchange Program (TLEP) on Friday. The discussion revolved around domestic situation, trade and tariffs, visions for North Korean diplomacy, and other security issues. The meeting was conducted in English, and to ensure a frank and open discussion it remained closed to the public and the press.

 

From Korea, 8 Members of Parliament – Jong-kul Lee, Se-yeon Kim as co-delegation heads, Dong-young Chung, Il-pyo Hong, Hye-hoon Lee, Soo-hyuck Lee, Jong-seok Kim, and Han-jong Kim – participated in the program.

 

Democrat Mark Takano and Republican James Sensenbrenner as co-delegation heads led Congresswomen Judy Chu, Brenda Lawrence, and Congressman French Hill from the United States. From Japan, two MPs - Masaharu Nakagawa and Yukihisa Fujita attended the event.

 

After the discussion, Speaker of the National Assembly of Korea Hee-sang Moon invited the delegates to his official residence for an official welcome dinner.

 

During the dinner, Speaker Moon said firm Korea-US alliance and close cooperation between Korea-US-Japan are prerequisites for the denuclearization of North Korea and peace in the Korean peninsula. He said that the Korean National Assembly will continue to work toward the successful realization of the peace process on the Korean peninsula based on a firm foundation of Korea-US alliance.

 

To Japanese representatives, Speaker Moon said that he always thought Japan’s role in North Korea’s denuclearization process to be significant. He believed that peace in the Korean peninsula would be in Japan’s national interest in politics, foreign policy, and the economy. He emphasized that Korea and Japan, two countries that are based on liberal democratic values and free market systems, must expand their common values, common interests, and confidence-building measures.  

 

 

 

 

PHOTO: Xinhua/Wang Ye. Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) with Robert Fico (R), President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, in Rome, Italy, March 22, 2019.

 

 

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Roberto Fico, President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies on Friday. They discussed methods to enhance bilateral relationship, legislative exchanges, and China-Europe cooperation.

 

"China is willing to work with Italy to constantly deepen strategic consensus, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, increase cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and elevate the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level," President Xi said.

 

Noting that exchanges and cooperation between legislative bodies are an important channel for the two peoples to enhance mutual understanding and deepen friendship, Xi said that China supports the legislatures of the two countries in deepening experience sharing on lawmaking and governance, especially in doing more work for the economic and financial cooperation as well as the cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

 

He said he hopes the Italian Chamber of Deputies creates sound legal and policy conditions to facilitate bilateral practical cooperation and personnel exchanges. The two countries should also increase communication and cooperation in multilateral parliamentary organizations to make positive contributions to safeguarding world peace, stability and prosperity, Xi said.

 

Speaker Fico said that in the era of globalization, all countries are dependent on each other and should join hands to address global issues. The Italian Chamber of Deputies is committed to promoting economic, trade and cultural exchanges and cooperation between Italy and China within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, strengthening communication and coordination on global affairs including tackling climate change and implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and helping the EU deepen its cooperation with China, he added. China is an important cooperation partner of Italy, he said, noting that he believes President Xi's visit will lift bilateral relations to a higher level.

 

 

 

 

PHOTO: Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) with Italian Senate Speaker Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati (R).

 

 

President Xi also met with Italian Senate Speaker Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati, and said that legislative branches from both China and Italy should broaden cooperation in multiple dimensions, adding his wish to see more successful experiences shared by the two sides. He said he hopes to see the Italian Senate continuing to play an active role in further exchanges, so as to provide better conditions for the development of bilateral ties.

 

Senate Speaker Casellati said that she hopes to see more communication in areas including culture, arts, languages, heritage preservation, tourism and many other areas, as well as more people-to-people exchanges, especially among young people.

 

During President Xi’s trip, Italy became the first G7 country and major EU economy to sign a non-binding pact for the Belt and Road Initiative.

 

 

 

 

PHOTO: China Daily. President Xi Jinping (L) meets with French President Emmanuel Macron (R).

 

 

After the visit to Italy, Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a visit to France and met with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron on Monday, March 25.

 

The two leaders agreed to carry forward the high-level ties between the two countries and forge a more solid, stable, and vibrant China-France comprehensive strategic partnership on a new starting point in history. The consensus was reached during the talks between Xi and Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris.

 

The world is undergoing major changes rarely seen in a century, and humanity stands at a crossroads and for China, France and Europe, they also come to a critical stage of development, the Chinese president said.

 

"China is willing to work with France to inherit the past and create the future, enable our close and enduring comprehensive strategic partnership to continue leading the way, and make more historic contributions to building an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity," Xi said.

 

The two leaders have signed several deals worth billions of euros in energy, transport, and the food industry, including a deal to sell 300 planes to China Aviation Supplies Holding Company.

 

 

BY MSEAP Cyber Secretariat (mseap@assembly.go.kr)