By Lee Tae-hoon
Staff Reporter
Chinese President Hu Jintao expressed his condolences to the bereaved families of 46 South Korean sailors killed in the sinking of the Navy ship Cheonan in March.
``I offer condolences and consolation to the victims of the Cheonan and their families,'' Hu said in his summit with President Lee Myung-bak in Shanghai. Lee was in the Chinese city for the opening of the World Expo.
It was the first time that Hu has commented publicly on the sinking of the ship that some observers believe involves North Korea. China is the North's key ally and its cooperation could be pivotal, if the matter were taken up by the United Nations. China is one of five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.
In response, Lee said Seoul is carrying out a scientific and objective investigation into the tragedy and it will promptly inform China of the results.
``The two leaders had serious discussions on the Cheonan incident,'' Lee Dong-kwan, senior presidential secretary for public relations, said during a briefing.
Senior Secretary Lee also said that closer cooperation is expected between South Korea and China in May when Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and Premier Wen Jiabao visit Seoul.
Beijing has played a key role in protecting the North from international pressure and its modus operandi is based on its fear of regional instability and a massive influx of refugees, according to experts.
During the summit, the two leaders also agreed to speed up efforts to break down bilateral trade barriers.
As Lee suggested accelerating discussions on a possible free trade agreement (FTA), Hu was quoted as saying, ``I'd like to speed up the FTA for the future.''
The two leaders agreed to accelerate joint feasibility studies for the bilateral trade accord.
Earlier in the day, President Lee expressed his strong willingness to push the FTA with the world's third largest economy in a meeting with Korean businessmen, which took place upon his arrival there for a two-day trip.
``The government will try and remove hurdles that hamper businesses to enter each other's market and discourages bilateral investment and trading,'' Lee told them.
He said trade and investment between the two countries will further expand, considering the speed of China's economic growth.
The businessmen pointed out to Lee that an early conclusion of an agreement will help restore Korea's competitiveness that may have been hampered by the signing of an FTA between China and ASEAN.
Both Lee and Hu agreed on the need for the agreement in 2008 but negotiations have yet to get started.
The summit took place hours after Hu's meeting with North Korea's No. 2 leader, Kim Yong-nam, who was attending the opening ceremony of the 2010 World Expo. Lee and Kim didn't encounter each other, despite some prior speculation of an unscheduled meeting.
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