Roh made the call while addressing Tsinghua University, one of China's most prestigious institutes.

Northeast Asia will grow into an economic center equal to the European Union and North America, Roh said, and will become a "prosperous hub" featuring manufacturing, investment, finance, logistics and the flow of information and technology.

Roh called for northeast Asian countries to strengthen dialogue and exchanges, enhance mutual trust and enlarge common interests through cooperation on projects.

Regional cooperation in the fields of telecommunication, energy, natural resources, environmental protection and the construction of a "Steel Road" connecting the Korean Peninsula, China and the European Union could be pioneer projects, he said.

The key problem was to maintain peace in the Korean Peninsula, Roh said.

"Without peace in the peninsula as a pre-condition, it's impossible to talk about peace and prosperity in northeast Asia."

Roh said he appreciated China's positive and constructive role in solving the nuclear issue of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and in maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

Roh spoke highly of the exchange and cooperation between the ROK and China.

In 2002, 2.3 million ROK people visited China, increasing 1700 percent in the last ten years, Roh said.

He said 36,000 ROK students were studying in China.

"That means there are four ROK students among each ten foreign students in China."

Roh said, the two countries share a 5,000-year history of friendly exchange.

ROK products, including songs, movies and soap operas are popular in China and ROK people are enthusiastic about learning Chinese language and Chinese culture, Roh said.

"ROK pickle is also worth a taste," the president said.

(Xinhua News Agency July 9, 2003)