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.

Beijing and Seoul are clear about resolving mutual disagreements and doubts. For example, for the first time Chang raised China's concern over the US-led Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense missile system, which was reportedly deployed in the ROK. In response, Han said Seoul had not signed any agreement with Washington to deploy it.

The new mode of security-based cooperation between Seoul and Beijing depends mostly on sound mutual and regional security cooperation to remove perceptual differences and thus avoid confrontation.

The dilemma over security between countries has been attributed mainly to their choice of priority - national interests taking precedence over regional interests. The fact is, a country can never be safe without a stable neighborhood or region. And by cooperating to keep the whole of Northeast Asia secure, Beijing and Seoul now more deeply appreciate the significance of a peaceful neighborhood.