Jeju Island - Weihai City, China, First Step in Friendly Cooperation

Jeju Special Self-Governing Province and Weihai City (威海市), China, have taken the first step toward friendly cooperation to drive Korea-China development.

According to Jeju Province on the 28th, Jeju Governor Oh Young-hoon held a meeting with Zhao Baogang, Vice Mayor of the Weihai Municipal People's Government, and Zhao Guanghong, Vice Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Weihai Committee, among others, at the Huaxing (??) Hotel near Fahua Temple in Longcheng City, China, at 11 a.m. local time the previous day, agreeing on exchanges between administrative cities.

Weihai is a port city and tourist city located at the northern tip of the Shandong Peninsula in China and is the largest seafood production base in China.

It boasts natural landscapes such as the scenery of the sea (海?), coastal white sand beaches, hot springs, bizarre mountains and rocks, reservoirs, and lakes, as well as national-level high-tech industrial development zones, economic and technological development zones, and comprehensive bonded zones.

The meeting took place as part of local government cooperation during a visit to Fahua Temple, which was for historical verification and religious-cultural exchange between Jeju Fahua Temple and China's Jishan Fahua Temple.

Zhao Baogang, Vice Mayor of Weihai City, said, “Weihai is striving for the development and promotion of friendship in each region through friendly exchanges with 22 Korean cities. If Weihai and Jeju, representative tourist areas of China and Korea, proceed with exchanges in tourism, future new industries, and human exchanges, it could open a new chapter in Korea-China exchanges.”

Vice Mayor Zhao Baogang explained, “Korea and Weihai are very close, less than an hour by plane, and have a long history of exchanges. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Korea and China in 1992, many South Korean companies have entered, achieving remarkable results in the economic development of both countries. Last year, 17.12 million tourists visited Weihai, contributing to the regional economic development.”

He added, “If exchanges based on the advantageous location and transportation conditions as the center of Northeast Asia are made between the two regions, there is sufficient potential for multifaceted development. Cooperation in the tourism industry would allow numerous Chinese people to visit Jeju, and residents of Jeju would have opportunities to enjoy famous tourist spots in Weihai.”

He also introduced Weihai City's core industries such as medical devices, carbon zero, transportation and aviation, electric vehicles, energy industries, and fruit cultivation, expressing willingness for economic and trade cooperation and exchanges in the education sector.

Jing Wenyuan, Mayor of Longcheng City People's Government, who was also present, said, “Longcheng City has a population of 750,000 and is a national-level port where representative Korean companies have entered, playing a bridgehead role in economic and trade relations with Korea since the past. As it is a region rich in China’s best seafood such as sea cucumbers, abalone, and kelp, we hope to promote regional development through close exchanges with Jeju.”

Governor Oh Young-hoon responded, “The exchange between Jeju Fahua Temple and Longcheng Fahua Temple has the meaning of re-examining the history of the Tamna Maritime Kingdom, which lasted for over a thousand years as an independent state on the Korean Peninsula, as well as religious and cultural exchanges. Through historical verification and cultural exchange, it creates opportunities for tourists to visit both regions, and the two regions can also generate sufficient synergy in food, tourism, and new materials sectors.”

Meanwhile, Jeju Province and Weihai City agreed to dispatch public officials responsible for exchange projects to each region and support living expenses, based on this meeting.

Jeju = Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Park Chang-won baekok@asiae.co.kr

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.