[Photo/Xinhua]
China is ready to work hand-in-hand with the Republic of Korea to take the strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries to a new level, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Wednesday as he called on both sides to maintain high-level exchanges.
Wang made the remarks during talks with ROK Foreign Minister Cho Hyun in Seoul.
China and the ROK will celebrate the 34th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations on Aug 24.
Wang began a two-day visit to the ROK on Wednesday, marking his first official trip there in five years.
His visit came as Seoul and Washington confirmed they are sharply scaling back major annual joint drills.
Noting that China-ROK relations are continuing to improve and develop in the direction charted by their leaders, Wang called on both sides to work to ensure the sound, stable, and sustainable development of bilateral ties.
China hopes the ROK will, in light of its own fundamental interests, independently develop its relations with other countries in parallel, Wang said.
He noted that the two neighbors have established a solid foundation for economic and trade cooperation and have become a deeply integrated community of shared interests.
China's vast market offers the ROK enormous opportunities due to geographical proximity, Wang said, as he expressed hope that the two sides will continue to expand cooperation, and upgrade cooperation in traditional industrial areas toward higher value-added sectors.
The two countries should also tap new growth areas for cooperation in artificial intelligence, green transition, the digital economy, high-end equipment, and the silver economy, he added.
The foreign minister called on the two countries to accelerate negotiations on the second phase of the China-ROK Free Trade Agreement.
China is ready to take the opportunity of hosting the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in November to work with all parties, including the ROK, to build the Asia-Pacific community, Wang said.
Speaking about the situation on the Korean Peninsula and China's position, Wang stressed that as a responsible major country, China has always been committed to playing a constructive role in maintaining peace and stability on the Peninsula.
China hopes to see Seoul and Pyongyang gradually move toward peaceful coexistence and ultimately achieve lasting peace and stability on the Peninsula, he said.
Cho noted that Seoul looks forward to ROK President Lee Jae-myung's attendance at the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Shenzhen this November, and the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the ROK and China next year as opportunities to further strengthen high-level exchanges and deepen bilateral exchanges and cooperation across various fields.
Reviewer 1: Huang Mengyao
Reviewer 2: Zhang Yanlan
Reviewer 3: Tang Caihong