(Reprinted from the official WeChat account of the Chinese Embassy in South Korea) On June 11, Ambassador Xing Haiming attended the signing ceremony of the "Zhangjiajie Craftsmanship Services" integration cooperation agreement and delivered a speech. Representatives from various entities, including former South Korean Congress member Woo Sang-ho, current Congress member Lim O-kyung, China Construction Bank, China Southern Airlines, South Korea's Hwacheon Group, and Hunan Huatian Group, were also in attendance.

Ambassador Xing Haiming stated that China and South Korea are vital neighbors to one another. Over the past 32 years of diplomatic relations, bilateral ties between the two countries have achieved comprehensive and rapid development. Currently, the bilateral trade volume between China and South Korea has exceeded USD 300 billion, while the cumulative direct investment between the two countries has reached USD 110 billion. Furthermore, flight frequencies between China and South Korea have almost returned to pre-epidemic levels, and personnel exchanges between the two countries continue to rise. This demonstrates the strong foundation for economic and trade cooperation and solid grassroots of cultural exchanges between China and South Korea, with the development of bilateral relations showing robust resilience and a promising future. During a recent visit to South Korea for the ninth China-Japan-South Korea Leaders' Meeting, Premier Li Qiang held a meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. The two sides reached important consensus on enhancing exchanges and cooperation in various fields, including the economy, trade, and cultural exchange, which will further promote the steady and sound development of bilateral relations between China and South Korea.

Xing Haiming emphasized that people-to-people exchanges are the foundation for further consolidating and developing relations between China and South Korea. China attaches great importance to the travel, work, study, and investment of foreign nationals in China and has made institutional arrangements to optimize payment services and enhance payment convenience. Recently, news of Korean tourists flocking to Zhangjiajie went viral on Chinese social media. In the first quarter of this year, Zhangjiajie received 105,000 Korean tourists, making South Korea the largest source of inbound tourism to Zhangjiajie. Although Korean tourism to Zhangjiajie is booming, there are still practical issues such as limited flights and challenges with financial payments in the scenic areas. The joint efforts of China Construction Bank, China Southern Airlines, Hunan Huatian Hotel, and South Korea's Hwacheon Group in creating the "Zhangjiajie Craftsmanship Services" integrated cooperation project will effectively break down service barriers, optimize payment services, and improve the level of internationalized services. It is hoped that with the "Zhangjiajie Craftsmanship Services" brand as an opportunity, Chinese and Korean companies will launch more collaborative new products in the future, providing Korean visitors to China with better experiences and a sense of achievement, truly feeling the warmth of China's expanded high-level opening-up and strengthening the friendly ties between China and South Korea.

Former Congress member Woo Sang-ho stated that China has numerous splendid historical and cultural sites and world-renowned natural and cultural landscapes, which have piqued the interest of the Korean people. The cooperation among the four companies from China and South Korea will inject new vitality into cultural exchanges between the two countries. It is expected that more Chinese and Korean companies will collaborate and share resources in the future, leveraging deeper synergies and continuously enhancing China's influence and reputation in the South Korean cultural tourism market, thus solidifying the foundation of people-to-people exchanges between China and South Korea.

Congress member Lim O-kyung expressed that Zhangjiajie, famous as the filming location for the movie "Avatar," has become one of the beloved tourist destinations for Koreans. The number of Korean tourists visiting Zhangjiajie is increasing, and with the signing of the "Zhangjiajie Craftsmanship Services" integrated cooperation agreement, it is hoped that better integrated services in finance, aviation, tourism, and hotels will be provided to Korean visitors, igniting their enthusiasm for traveling to Zhangjiajie.

Today's signing is not only a ceremony but also a commitment and responsibility. It marks a new starting point. Efforts will be made to promote the continuous development of the "Zhangjiajie Craftsmanship Services" brand. With subsequent new progress and achievements, the "Zhangjiajie Craftsmanship Services" will become a bridge and bond for enhancing friendship between the people of China and South Korea.