1. The 7th Republic of Korea (ROK)-People’s Republic of China (China) Public Diplomacy Forum, co-hosted by the ROK Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and co-organized by the Korea Foundation and the China Public Diplomacy Association, took place at Songdo Convensia, Incheon, on October 17. It brought together some 250 people, including experts from the government, academic, media and cultural sectors and students of the two countries.

° Among the participants were Ambassador for Public Diplomacy of the ROK Ministry of Foreign Affairs Chang Jae-bok, President of the Korea Foundation Lee Geun, President of the China Public Diplomacy Association Wu Hailong, Chinese Ambassador to the ROK Qiu Guohong and Ambassador for International Relations of Incheon Metropolitan City Yoon Sang-soo.

2. This year’s Forum served as an opportunity for lively communication between the ROK and China on such areas as peace and cooperation in Northeast Asia, shared prosperity and development, and humanities exchanges. In particular, in the final session, the two sides discussed ways to expand the base of public diplomacy by facilitating exchanges between the two countries’ provinces.

° The experts from the two countries discussed ways to pursue security cooperation in order to build a peace regime amid the rapidly changing political and economic orders in Northeast Asia, tasks for achieving shared prosperity and economic cooperation between the two countries, and ways to systematize humanities exchanges in the digital era.

3. Ambassador for Public Diplomacy Chang Jae-bok noted with appreciation that the ROK-China Public Diplomacy Forum has helped enhance mutual understanding and increase contacts between people of the two countries. He went on to express hope that the two countries, through more open two-way public diplomacy, would develop a common vision toward a future of peace and shared prosperity.

° President of the China Public Diplomacy Association Wu Hailong mentioned that the two countries are working together to overcome difficulties and build a community of shared destiny and responsibility toward peace and mutual prosperity. He also noted that the ROK-China Public Diplomacy Forum has contributed significantly to promoting understanding and reinforcing the foundation of cooperation between the two countries.

4. The ROK Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to build platforms for “open two-way public diplomacy” that can increase participation of provincial government agencies and people from various sectors of the two countries in a bid to help promote the friendly and cooperative relations and make more substantial progress in the strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries.