Destabilization, that's what the Korean Peninsula, perhaps the whole of Northeast Asia, has been moving toward for the past year. Amid this scenario, China and the Republic of Korea have been developing a new mode of bilateral cooperation on security. And Defense Minister Chang Wanquan's three-day visit to Seoul that ended on Feb 5 has not only boosted this process, but also highlighted the importance of the frequent China-ROK interactions.

First, the two countries agree on the basic premise of pushing for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and restoring peace and stability in the region. At his meeting with ROK President Park Geun-hye on Feb 4, Chang conveyed China's eagerness to resume the Six-Party Talks, while the ROK insisted that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea first stop making provocative moves against it.

On deepening defense cooperation, Chang and his ROK counterpart Han Min-koo agreed to expedite negotiations for establishing a military hotline, and discussed ways to launch joint actions against non-traditional security threats such as pirates and cyber terrorists.