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On April 22, BING Zheng, Director of the Jilin Academy of Social Sciences, visited the Northeast Asian History Foundation. A memorandum of understanding was concluded between the Foundation and the Academy. After the signing of the MOU, Bing presented a special lecture on academic exchanges and cooperation. We met with Bing after his lecture.

Q. Please tell us about the Jilin Academy of Social Sciences.

Founded in 1958, the Academy is an organization for the research, management, education, and promotion of social sciences located in Jilin province. The Academy is also the only research organization in Jilin. The Academy is made up of 15 administrative divisions, 14 research institutes, 2 research centers, 4 journal publishing units, and 1 library. The Academy's 331 staff members engage in research on philosophy, history, literature, economics, legal studies, political science, and international relations. Research in philosophy and social sciences, in particular, are areas in which the Academy plays a key role. There are three separate research institutes that undertake research on the Academy's distinctive areas of study: history and culture of China's northeast and border regions, economy and social development of China's northeast and Jilin, and international relations in Northeast Asia. The Academy also established a research unit specializing on issues related to the Korean peninsula in the mid 1960s. With the normalization of diplomatic relations between South Korea and China in 1992, the Academy established the Joseon/Korea Institute to engage in research on Korea's economy, politics, and history.

Q. Do you visit Korea often? What are your ties with Korea?

Since the 2000s, exchanges between the Academy and Korean academic organizations have expanded rapidly. I myself have been visiting Korea once every year since 2002. Since 2004, around 25 researchers from the Academy have participated in academic conferences in Korea for scholarly exchanges, and 74 Korean scholars have visited the Academy for conferences. The Academy currently cooperates with around 10 Korean academic organizations and has wide-ranging ties with Korean social sciences scholars. Hence, we have many Korean friends.

Q. What do you know about the Northeast Asian History Foundation?

As far as I know, the Foundation is a research organization that has an especially large influence on Korea's exchanges with China's social sciences circle. I had visited the Foundation for the first time last October and was greatly impressed by it. I understand that some of the Foundation's researchers are engaged in projects and activities overseas as well. Through such efforts, the Foundation has developed ties with many different countries and boasts a deep understanding of China through its many exchanges with overseas scholars. Given the high caliber of the Foundation's research activities and findings, I can say that it is a leading organization in social sciences research in Northeast Asia as a whole.

Q. Please tell us about the level of interest the Academy has in historical issues.

The Academy was originally founded as the "Institute of Culture and History of Northeastern China." From the name alone, you can see that the Academy is a leading research organization on the history of China's northeast. The Academy publishes many books on the regional history of China's northeast; history of China-Russia relations, China-North Korea relations, and China-South Korea relations; the ancient history of ethnic minorities in China's northeast; and modern Northeast Asia. Additionally, the Academy also conducts research on the complete history of Jilin, the history of Goguryeo, the history of Manchuria, the history of the border regions China-North Korea border regions, cultural histories of China and South Korea, and the history of China-North Korea relations.

Q. Have there been any breakthroughs in the Academy's research on ethnic Koreans or North Korea? Please also tell us about the types of academic journals published by the Academy.

The Academy publishes four journals, including Front Lines of Social Sciences, a journal on the history and economic development of Northeast Asia, and one on Northeast Asia in general. The journal on Northeast Asian is for internal circulation only and is not published for the public. The Academy places great importance on research on the Korean peninsula. We published a book entitled The History of the Revolutionary Struggle of Ethnic Koreans in Harbin, which made significant contributions to the study of ethnic minorities in China. We conduct annual studies of an area in Harbin inhabited by ethnic Koreans and report on the activities of the economically active segment of the ethnic Korean population.

Q. How about joint research with North Korea? It is possible to for the Academy carry out joint research projects with the Foundation that could also involve the participation of North Korean scholars?

For friendly cooperation with North Korea, the Academy runs scholar exchange programs with North Korea. However, given the special circumstances of North Korea, North Korea's scholarly exchanges with the Academy is limited only to the Academy and do not extend to joint research with the Academy's partner organizations in other countries. The Academy hosts an annual academic conference and invites scholars from Northeast Asia at large. If participating countries so desire, the Academy may invite North Korea to this event.

Q. You recognize that Korean and Chinese scholars have differing viewpoints when it comes to the study of China's northeast. What would you propose as a measure to narrow these differences?

The differences you have mentioned do exist, but they are academic in nature. There has to be a shared understanding that it is not desirable for academic issues to be politicized nor for historical issues to be dragged into today's realities. The differences in viewpoint must be recognized. There must also be mutual understanding of one another's principles. The differences should then be resolved through academic exchanges. The MOU our two organizations have just signed, for example, can be an effective means of narrowing the these differences. When academic exchanges and cooperation are carried out with the two nations on equal footing, the scholars of the two countries will be able to resolve misunderstandings and gain a greater understanding of one another by exchanging views and sharing information. Of course, the differences cannot disappear completely. Differences in opinion exist in any academic discipline. Nonetheless, China-Korea exchanges and cooperation, like the ones this MOU are meant to foster, will make an important contribution to enhancing not only bilateral academic ties but also to bringing the two countries closer together.

Q. Korea and China have shared close ties throughout history, and the two countries have been enjoying especially amicable relations as of late. What are your expectations and outlook on the future of Korea-China relations?

The relationship between China and South Korea has made rapid progress since the normalization of diplomatic relations. Today, the two countries rarely disagree on international issues and tend to speak in one voice. Private, academic, and social linkages between the two nations are growing. I believe that further advances in each of these areas will have a major impact on strengthening the amity between China and Korea. The Korean peninsula is presently very unstable. I hope that stable China-South Korea relations will have a positive influence on the situation on the Korean peninsula.