The Consulate General of South Korea organized an academic forum in Guangzhou on December 10th, on the theme of exploring future cooperation opportunities between China and South Korea under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and South Korea’s New Southern Policy.

The forum was attended by diplomats, international relations experts and scholars from both China and South Korea. Dialogue about the two countries’ diplomatic policies and cooperation opportunities in the fields of both trade and investment was entered into during the forum.

“There are many similarities between the New Southern Policy and the BRI, providing us with a range of opportunities to work together,” according to Mr. Hong Sungwook, the Consul General of South Korea in Guangzhou.

Hong also pointed out the importance of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to future cooperation, saying that “Guangdong is close with the Southeast Asian regions and plays a significant role in the BRI.”

The BRI, proposed by China in 2013, has grown into one of the most promising platforms for international cooperation, forging a new pathway toward inclusive globalization that delivers shared benefits. The initiative aims to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient Silk Road trade routes to seek common development and prosperity.

The South Korean president has advocated the New Southern Policy since his inauguration in May 2017 as part of an effort to raise the country's strategic partnership with ASEAN to a higher level.

Authors: Monica Liu, Wang Yifan

Editor: Simon Haywood