Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi shake hands for a photo at the South Korea-China foreign ministers' meeting held Wednesday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Government Complex Seoul, Jongno-gu. [Yonhap]
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi shake hands for a photo at the South Korea-China foreign ministers' meeting held Wednesday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Government Complex Seoul, Jongno-gu. [Yonhap]

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday and said he hoped the restoration of South Korea-China relations would "contribute to peace and stability in the region, including the Korean Peninsula." Wang said China would "continue to play a constructive role."

Speaking at the opening of the bilateral foreign ministers' meeting held that afternoon at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cho said President Lee Jae Myung had laid out a vision for peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula in his Liberation Day address, and that the South Korean government would work toward denuclearization and lasting peace on the peninsula.

Wang's visit marks his return to South Korea since the South Korea-China summit on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum last November. His current trip also marks his first official visit to South Korea in five years.

Cho said the two leaders' reciprocal visits in November last year and January this year had firmly established a trajectory toward the full restoration of bilateral ties, adding that President Lee had called for making 2026 the inaugural year of that full restoration.

He said the two sides had held close consultations toward delivering on that full restoration in ways that would make a tangible difference in the lives of ordinary citizens in both countries. He said he hoped Wednesday's meeting with Wang would allow them to take stock of progress made so far.

Cho also said that with the 35th anniversary of diplomatic ties approaching next year, it was time to begin preparations in earnest for high-level exchanges at the APEC summit in Shenzhen in November. He said he hoped to work with President Xi Jinping to advance the narrative of full bilateral restoration — which began in Gyeongju — to a new level at the Shenzhen APEC meeting.

Cho said he looked forward to cooperating with China on the basis of their shared interest in peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, and to a candid and substantive conversation with Wang that day.

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speak during a handshake at the South Korea-China foreign ministers' meeting held Wednesday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Government Complex Seoul, Jongno-gu. [Yonhap]
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speak during a handshake at the South Korea-China foreign ministers' meeting held Wednesday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Government Complex Seoul, Jongno-gu. [Yonhap]

Wang responded by saying that as the Korean Peninsula's most important neighbor, China would continue to play a constructive role in promoting peace, development and stability there.

"We will make the efforts we are obliged to make," he said, adding that China sincerely hoped South Korea and North Korea would gradually find their way toward peaceful coexistence, and that the peninsula would achieve lasting stability and development.

In his opening remarks, Wang said the two sides would continue to build mutual trust, deepen substantive cooperation, bring greater welfare to the people of both countries and advance regional peace and stability, underscoring the importance of developing the bilateral relationship.

Wang said the South Korea-China relationship was steadily improving and developing in line with the direction set by the two countries' leaders, and that this served the common interests of both peoples. He said the international situation had grown particularly turbulent this year, with regional conflicts spreading and disruptions to global supply chains posing risks not only to security but also to peace and stability in the region.

Wang said China and South Korea were enduring friendly neighbors and partners, and that as partners they must take a strategic view focused on long-term development and the fundamental interests of both peoples, working to ensure the bilateral relationship develops in a healthy, stable and sustainable manner.

This year marks the 34th anniversary of diplomatic ties between South Korea and China. Wang pledged that China would work with South Korea, staying true to the original spirit of the relationship while moving with the times, to elevate the strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries to a new level and chart a new vision for it.


moone@heraldcorp.com