Harry Harris and Xing Haiming's 'Surprise Meeting'... Discussing US-China Relations and Korean Peninsula Issues

Harry Harris, U.S. Ambassador to Korea (right), and Xing Haiming, Chinese Ambassador to Korea, are smiling and taking a selfie together. Photo by Ambassador Harris's Twitter capture.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] Harry Harris, the U.S. Ambassador to Korea, and Xing Haiming, the Chinese Ambassador to Korea, met on the 22nd to discuss bilateral relations and other matters. The meeting attracted attention as it took place amid strained U.S.-China relations.

Ambassador Harris and Ambassador Xing exchanged views on U.S.-China relations and the situation on the Korean Peninsula for about an hour starting at 10:30 a.m. at the U.S. Ambassador's residence in Jeong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul.

Ambassador Harris stated on Twitter, "Today, I had a good meeting with Ambassador Xing Haiming of China and discussed important U.S.-China relations." He also posted a 'selfie' taken with Ambassador Xing, both smiling brightly.

The Chinese Embassy in Korea also posted a photo of the meeting on Facebook, reporting that Ambassador Xing said, "If China and the U.S. cooperate, both sides benefit; if they fight, both sides suffer," adding, "The stable development of bilateral relations aligns with the fundamental interests of both countries and their peoples, as well as the shared aspirations of people worldwide."

Ambassador Xing further stated, "China has no intention to replace or surpass the U.S., and hopes the U.S. will respect China's core interests and the autonomous choices of the Chinese people." He also added, "Both countries must work together for peace, stability, and development on the Korean Peninsula."

In response, Ambassador Harris said, "U.S.-China relations are very important and currently face some difficulties," but "the U.S. hopes to strengthen cooperation with China on the Korean Peninsula issue," according to the Chinese Embassy.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Korea said after the meeting, "Ambassador Harris expressed that he was glad to have a productive discussion with Ambassador Xing on various diplomatic issues."

The meeting is known to have been held following diplomatic protocol, where a newly appointed ambassador pays a courtesy visit to other ambassadors. Ambassador Harris was appointed in July 2018, and Ambassador Xing Haiming arrived in Korea in January this year. Wang Wei, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Korea, said the meeting was "an official courtesy visit following Ambassador Xing's appointment." Although the two ambassadors have met at various events before, this was their first formal bilateral meeting.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.