China, S Korea resolve execution row in Brunei

Photos of Premier Zhu Rongji (left) and President Kim Dae-jung. China and South Korea said Sunday they had put behind a row which erupted when Seoul complained it was not notified before Beijing executed a South Korean criminal. AP

China and South Korea said Sunday they had put behind them a row which erupted when Seoul complained it was not notified before Beijing executed a South Korean criminal, AFP reported.

Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan and South Korean Foreign Minister Han Seung-Soo met here ahead of an East Asian summit and agreed to improve communication links to avoid similar confusion in the future, officials said.

"Both sides believe this was an isolated incident and that we should not let this incident affect the development of bilateral relations," said Chinese vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi, adding the issue was resolved.

Han on Saturday apologised for mishandling the diplomatic row over China's execution of a 41-year-old Korean drug dealer on September 25.

Seoul wrongly accused China of giving no notification of the execution until a month after the event.

It said a Chinese court sent notification of the sentencing and imminent execution, but did not say when the execution would occur and the notice did not go to the right person.

China had insisted notification was made and demanded Seoul stop its "groundless accusations".

Han said after meeting with Tang Sunday the two sides agreed to improve cooperation on consular matters and to hold meetings between the South Korean and Chinese officials.

"We agreed to cooperate more closely on matters concerning consular affairs," Han said.

Asked who was at fault, Wang said: "In any situation, there's no one side that's 100 per cent right and another side that's 100 per cent wrong."

Chinese Foreign Minister Tang told reporters prior to the meeting both sides should learn a lesson from the incident.

The execution triggered a war of words between the two countries. Top Chinese envoys were summoned in protest and South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung accused Beijing of neglecting the spirit of the Vienna convention on consular affairs.

The meeting Sunday took place shortly after the delegations from the two countries arrived here for Tuesday's "Asean plus three" summit meeting between the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China, Japan and South Korea.

The Chinese Supreme Court sentenced the drug dealer to death in August 1999 for manufacturing, delivering and selling narcotics.

 
Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin