On Wednesday, July 24, NEAR Secretary-General Lim Byung-jin visited the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Korea, where he met with Ambassador Dai Bing to discuss recent NEAR activities and matters concerning to intergovernmental cooperation among local governments in Northeast Asia.
During the meeting, Secretary-General Lim outlined the founding background and mission of NEAR, as well as key events scheduled for this year and organization's future direction. He also highlighted the active participation of Chinese member governments within the NEAR platform. In addition, he expressed his gratitude to the Chinese Embassy for its continued interest and support, particularly regarding Liaoning Province’s role as NEAR Chair Government and former Ambassador Xing Haiming’s participation in NEAR’s High-Level Working Committee meeting.
Secretary-General Lim emphasized that local-level cooperation between Korea and China plays a crucial component of the broader bilateral relationship. He noted that expanding Chinese local government membership in NEAR would further strengthen the organization's role as a key multilateral platform in the region. He also requested the continued support of the Chinese Embassy in encouraging such participation.
In response, Ambassador Dai stated that China supports multilateral exchange and opposes protectionism, recognizing NEAR as a valuable platform that has contributed significantly to promoting cooperation, dialogue, and peace among local governments in Northeast Asia, including those of Korea and China.
He added that amid rapid changes in the global and regional landscape, as well as China's own economic and scientific growth, the quality of intergovernmental cooperation is becoming increasingly important. He expressed his hope that NEAR would continue to adapt and play an even greater role in fostering regional prosperity.
Ambassador Dai also remarked that Korea and China are important neighbors and partners, and that with the launch of Korea’s new administration, bilateral relations are entering a promising phase. He stated that the Chinese Embassy would continue to explore ways to support NEAR’s development, including by encouraging new memberships from Chinese local governments.