Deputy Foreign Minister Chung Byung-won met with a senior Chinese official of Gansu Province on Wednesday and discussed efforts to boost the two-way partnership in minerals and other areas, officials said. Chung exchanged opinions on ways for deeper cooperation in the meeting with Shi Moujun, deputy secretary of the Gansu Provincial Party Committee, the foreign ministry said in a release. Shi is visiting South Korea this week for meetings with South Korean officials and to attend bilateral trade events. Shi is the first senior party official of the north-central Chinese province to visit Korea. In Wednesday's meeting, Chung expressed hope that South Korea's partnership with Gansu Province will further develop, as the municipal-level cooperation has more potential since it allows for more policy flexibility compared with the central government. Chung also asked for the Gansu Province's support to help ensure a stable business and investment environment for South Korean businesses. Gansu is rich in critic al minerals, such as nickel, cobalt and silicon, as well as other resources for wind power, solar energy and gas fields. South Korea's LX International, a commodities trading company, operates a thermal power plant in Gansu in a joint venture with a Chinese power company. Shi's visit to Korea follows the recent trips here by the senior party officials of key Chinese provinces. In June, Xin Changxing, the party secretary of China's Jiangsu Province, made a two-day trip to Seoul for talks with South Korean officials. In April, Hao Peng, the party secretary of Liaoning Province, visited Seoul and met with Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul for talks on supply chains and other issues. Source: Yonhap News Agency