The King Says "Strengthening the Bilateral Community Under New Circumstances"... Discusses 'Beijing' Meeting with President Moon

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporters Yoo In-ho and Lee Ji-eun] The foreign ministers of South Korea and China met again after five months, emphasizing their relationship as ‘strategic cooperative partners’ in the fields of security and economy between the two countries. Following the close alignment between South Korea and the United States at the May summit, China appears to be indirectly asserting its influence by expressing its intention to expand exchanges ahead of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between South Korea and China next year. Wang Yi, China’s State Councilor and Foreign Minister, also paid a courtesy call on President Moon Jae-in and discussed issues related to the Beijing Winter Olympics.

Before the start of the South Korea-China foreign ministers’ meeting on the 15th, Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong stated in his opening remarks, "The two countries have closely cooperated as key partners to achieve the common goal of complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the establishment of lasting peace," adding, "We expect consistent support for the peace process on the Korean Peninsula pursued by our government."

In response, Minister Wang said, "China and South Korea are inseparable close neighbors and partners who cannot leave each other," and added, "Under the new circumstances, the two countries should further strengthen their sense of community and continuously expand their common interests." This remark is interpreted as a conscious response to the recent close ties between South Korea and the U.S. amid intense U.S.-China rivalry. During the foreign ministers’ meeting, discussions were held on expanding cooperation between the two countries ahead of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations and on solutions to the North Korean nuclear issue.

After the foreign ministers’ meeting, Minister Wang moved to the Blue House to pay a courtesy call on President Moon, where they discussed expanding South Korea-China cooperation and attendance at the Beijing Winter Olympics. Attention is focused on whether the plan for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to South Korea will also be discussed at this meeting. Earlier, the Blue House stated, "President Xi’s visit to South Korea can be discussed during Minister Wang’s visit." President Xi’s last visit to South Korea was in 2014 during the Park Geun-hye administration.

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