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Chinese defence chief on historic S Korean visit

SEOUL: South Korea was on Tuesday preparing for a historic visit by Chinese Defence Minister Chi Haotian, the first by a Chinese defence chief since the two sides fought each other five decades ago in the Korean War.

Defence officials in Seoul described Chi's five-day visit which begins on Wednesday as having a "historic meaning" which will add momentum to the development of military ties between the former Cold-War foes.

"From now on, military cooperation between Seoul and Beijing will be further deepened and broadened," Cha Young-Koo, director general of the ministry's policy planning bureau, told AFP.

Chi's visit will mark a major development in the relations between South Korea and China, which fought on opposite sides in the 1950-53 Korean conflict.

The two only set up diplomatic ties in 1992 and have been pushing to expand their ties, mostly in the economic sectors.

Defence officials here hope the Chinese defence chief's unprecedented visit, which follows a visit to Beijing last year by South Korea's defence minister, will help expand the Seoul-Beijing ties into military fields.

Seoul's approach to Beijing is seen as a move aimed at discouraging communist North Korea from building missiles and nuclear weapons by using China's traditional close ties with Pyongyang.

China is seen as North Korea's last surviving ally and is thought to retain influence with the leadership of the isolated and unpredictable Stalinist state.

"It is particularly heartening to see efforts being made to develop military ties, as China can make a bigger contribution than any other country to easing tensions on the Korean peninsula," the Korea Times said Tuesday.

"The unprecedented visit .... should contribute greatly in the long run to cementing peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and in Northeast Asia as a whole," it added in an editorial.

Beijing and Pyongyang signed a mutual defence treaty in 1961 guaranteeing China's military support of the North in the event of an armed conflict. The treaty is however thought to be all but defunct in practical terms.

The two Koreas have remained technically at war for the past 47 years since their conflict ended in a fragile armistice, rather than a permanent peace treaty.

South Korea has asked China, which backed Pyongyang in the war, to play a mediating role in defusing tension on the Korean Peninusla.

Since he took office in February in 1998, South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung has been actively pursing his "Sunshine policy" of reconciliation with the communist regime in Pyongyang.

South Korean officials hope Beijing will support President Kim's engagement policy towards North Korea.

But Chi's visit comes at a sensitive time in ties between Beijing and Seoul.ÑAFP