China’s PM shows goodwill gesture to Korean children

On Friday, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao met with special Korean guests. They were not powerful politicians or influential business tycoons. They were a group of 20 Korean children from three Korean orphanages, including the Sangrok Orphanage.

Wen, who is known in some pockets of China as "Grandpa Wen" for his down-to-earth and personable outreach efforts, hugged the Korean children one by one. He also peeled a banana for one of them, according to JoongAng Ilbo Saturday.

The venue where Wen greeted the Korean children was Zhongnanhai, a residential compound for Chinese top leaders next to the Tiananmen Square.

Wen's gesture was a returning favor to South Korean President Lee Myung-bak's move one year ago. At that time, Lee invited 20 Chinese children to the Blue House. The Chinese children were also from underprivileged backgrounds, for example, victims of the Sichuan Earthquake tragedy.

Wen told the students, "Don't be discouraged by difficulties. Be strong," adding "smile and friendship doesn't need translation, so let's work together for the betterment of the two countries' ties," JoongAng said.

The diplomatic ties between South Korea and China have recently become sour amid their differences on the Cheonan incident.

China, a veto-wielding U.N. Security Council member and the North Korea's long-time enabler, has so far demurred to Seoul seeking Beijing's condemnation of the Kim Jong-il regime.

Against this background, observers say fence-mending good-will gestures should also play an active role to offset setbacks in their diplomatic relations.

Friday's meeting was also attended by South Korean Ambassador to China Yu Woo-ik and China's vice foreign minister Zhang Zhijun, it said.