Important events on China tour

By Jun Ji-hye

President Park Geun-hye, who held her first summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping Thursday, starts her second day of a state visit with a breakfast meeting with her 71 member economic delegation in Beijing at 9:30 a.m. (Korean time) Friday.

The largest ever delegation is composed of various economic figures from presidents of the conglomerate to chairmen of the small- and medium-sized businesses. Among those are Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Mong-koo; Kim Ki-mun of the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Businesses, and Yang Min-seok, CEO of YG Entertainment that has led the hallyu (Korean wave).

It is said that those figures came through fierce competition to be included in the delegation list as it will apparently help improve the level of awareness and honor of their firms.

Park plans to give a speech at the Korea-China business forum at 11 a.m., before she has a meeting with Korean residents in China at 3 p.m.

She completes her schedule on the day with a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang at 6:30 p.m., after meeting with Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, at 5 p.m.

On the third day (Saturday), President Park plans to give a special speech in Tsinghua University at 11 a.m., drawing attention to her Chinese speech.

After visiting a Korean firm in Beijing at 12:50 a.m., she will leave for Xian where she will meet the party secretary for the province of Shanxi at 7 p.m.

President Park Geun-hye will become the first Korean head of state to visit Xian, one of the oldest cities in China. The city is Xi’s political hometown ― his father was born near Xian and he was also sent to the countryside near the city for seven years during the Cultural Revolution.

As the starting point of the ancient Silk Road, Xian is the hub of interchange and cooperation between Korea and western China as many Koran companies have operations in the city.

“In the long run, Xian has a great potential in Sino-Korean collaboration as the city can be a forward base for our companies advancing into Europe and central Asia,” a presidential aide said.

Park will inspect Korean factories in Xian and meet ethnic Koreans there as well as visiting some historical sites in the city, one of the most popular tourist destinations in China.

On Sunday, the last day of her tour, she will visits another Korean firm at 10:30 a.m., before visiting the iconic Terracotta Warriors, part of Terracotta Army buried to guard the tomb of the late Emperor Qin Shi Huang, at 11:40 a.m.

After she meets Koreans in the region at 2:15 p.m., she will return home at 7:10 p.m.