There have been smooth progress in political ties of the two countries since the establishment of diplomatic relations. Chinese leaders who have successively visited the ROK include President Jiang Zemin, Premier Li Peng, Qiao Shi, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), Li Ruihuan, Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference(CPPCC), Vice-President Hu Jintao, Vice-Premier and Foreign Minister Qian Qichen. The ROK leaders who have visited China are Presidents (ROH Tae Woo, KIM Young Sam and KIM Dae Jung), Premier LEE Hong Goo, National Assembly Speakers (LEE Man Sup, HWANG Nak Joo, KIM Soo Han), Foreign Ministers (LEE Sang Ok, HAN Sung- joo, Ro-Myung GONG, YOO Chong Ha and PARK Chung Soo). The incumbent Premier KIM Jung Pil has also visited China once in the capacity of Honorary Director-General of the United Liberal Democrats (ULD). The leaders of the two countries frequently hold meetings on the occasion of attending the international meetings. Chinese President Jiang Zemin met with Presidents KIM Young Sam and KIM Dae Jung on many occasions while attending the APEC informal summits. In April 1998, Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji met with President KIM Dae Jung when he attended the 2nd Asian-European Summit (ASEM) in London. In November 1999, Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji and the ROK President Kim Dae Jung had breakfast together during the informal summit of ASEAN, China, Japan and the ROK in Manila.
In November 1998, President KIM Dae Jung of the ROK paid a state visit to China. During the visit, he held talks with Chinese President Jiang Zemin and met with Li Peng, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the NPC, Premier Zhu Rongji, Vice-President Hu Jintao and Vice-Premier Qian Qichen. In the talks between heads of state of the two countries, Chinese President Jiang Zemin expressed his satisfaction with the development of the bilateral relations and his belief that the friendly relations and cooperation between the two countries would reach a new stage through the joint efforts of both sides. China and the ROK issued a Joint Communiqui expressing their satisfaction with the remarkable progress achieved in the political, economic, social and cultural fields of the good-neighborly and friendly relations and cooperation during the past six years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, stating that all these were not only conducive to the developments of the two countries, but also to the stability and prosperity of this region as a whole. The two sides agreed that they will look into the future and establish a Sino-ROK cooperation partnership oriented towards the 21st century based on the Principles enshrined in the UN Charter and the spirit of the Sino-ROK joint communiqui on the establishment of diplomatic relations as well as on the good-neighborly and friendly relations and cooperation since the establishment of diplomatic relations. During this visit, the two countries signed the treaty on the criminal and legal assistance, the agreement on the simplification of the visa granting procedure and on the granting of multiple entry-exit visa, the MOUs on the exchanges of visit between youths, the agreement on the exchanges and cooperation in the field of railways between China's Ministry of Railways and the ROK's Ministry of Construction and Transportation and the fisheries agreement was initialed. The heads from the ministries of foreign affairs, economic and trade cooperation, railways and construction of the two countries respectively had counterpart conversations in Beijing. President KIM Dae Jung visited Shanghai in addition to Beijing, followed by an official visit to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region from 19 to 20 of November 1998 after he attended the APEC informal summit in the Philippines.
In October 2000, Premier Zhu Rongji paid an official visit to the Republic of Korea at the invitation of President Kim Dae Jung. During the visit, Premier Zhu held formal talks with President Kim Dae Jung and had a broad and in-depth exchange of views on issues of common concern such as the situation in the Korean Peninsular, bi-lateral ties etc. and reached many consensus. Both sides unanimously agreed to enhance Sino-ROK relations of cooperation and partnership to a new stage of all-round cooperation. Besides, Premier Zhu also met with speaker of the ROK National Assembly Lee Man Sup, Premier Lee Hanh Dong and major leaders of political parties. He had broad contacts and meetings with leaders of the four ROK economic organizations and other well-known economic personages and delivered a speech at the luncheon hosted by the four ROK economic organizations entitled “Sino-ROK Ties oriented towards all-round Cooperation”. The two countries signed a Treaty on Extradition Between the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Korea.
