As South Korean voters cast ballots Wednesday to choose their next president, China is ready to work with whoever wins the election to enhance bilateral cooperation.

Both front-runners in the neck-and-neck race, namely Park Geun-hye of the ruling Saenuri party and Moon Jae-in of the main opposition Democratic United Party, have repeatedly promised to improve the country's economy and the people's livelihood.

China, as the world's second largest economy and an enormous consumer market, can play an important role in helping South Korea mitigate the impact of the global financial crisis and reviving its sluggish export.

Trade between China and South Korea has increased almost 40 folds in the past 20 years since the two countries established diplomatic ties.

As South Korea's largest trading partner for years, China is also a major destination of South Korean investment and a primary source of foreign tourists.

The joint decision by China, South Korea and Japan in November to formally launch negotiations for a free trade area will further facilitate trade cooperation among the three neighbors, whose economies have become increasingly intertwined.

On the political front, China and South Korea have also made great strides, as testified by the host of high-level exchanges between the two countries in recent years.

China, as a main stakeholder in the security of the Korean Peninsula, will also be glad to see an improved atmosphere on the peninsula following the election.

It is widely hoped that South Korea's new leader would adopt policies conducive to maintaining stability on the Korean Peninsula, which is one of the most significant security factors in East Asia and the Asia-Pacific region at large.

Bearing that in mind, the international community has made tremendous efforts to ease tensions on the peninsula.

With the six-party talks having stalled for years, the hard-earned trust among the concerned parties is evaporating following unfortunate incidents one after another.

Thus it is imperative that all those involved take concrete actions to arrest the trust drain and work to resume the talks at an early date, so as to bring about lasting peace to the Korean Peninsula.