| South Korea, China agree to set up military hot line |
SEOUL, Apr. 5 (AP) -- South Korea and China have agreed to set up an emergency military hot line to avoid possible maritime clashes, a news report said Thursday.
The hot line between the two countries' navies and air forces will "help avoid clashes in the West Sea over illegal fishing," Chosun Ilbo quoted the Chinese official as saying.
It was not immediately clear what countries might be involved in the potential clashes mentioned in the report.
Chinese fishing boats frequently cross the disputed western maritime border _ a rich fishing ground _ between South Korea and North Korea, an ally of China's.
The South Koreans and Chinese have not clashed in the area. However, the two Koreas fought deadly naval skirmishes there in 1999 and 2002, leaving several sailors dead and sinking six ships.
The hot line accord will be signed by South Korea's President Roh Moo-hyun and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao during Wen's two-day trip to Seoul starting Tuesday, the Chosun Ilbo newspaper's online edition said, citing an unidentified Chinese official.
"The issue of setting up a hot line is on the agenda of the summit," a South Korean official told The Associated Press. He asked not to be named due to the issue's sensitivity.
Separately, a South Korean Defense Ministry official told the AP that the two sides have inched closer to setting up the hot line, but he declined to give details. He spoke on condition of anonymity, citing policy.
The hot line's establishment represents improved relations between Seoul and Beijing as they step up their political and economic cooperation in a region where mistrust and rivalry run deep over historical and territorial disputes.
The two countries are also involved in international efforts to curb North Korea's nuclear weapons program in return for aid and other political concessions for the impoverished North. China is Pyongyang's only major ally.
South Korea, which fought against China-backed North Korea during the 1950-53 Korean War, has strengthened its ties with Beijing since diplomatic normalization in 1992.
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