Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit the Republic of Korea (ROK) from December 4 to 5, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

The visit comes at the invitation of ROK Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said.

During the visit, Wang will meet the ROK leader and hold in-depth talks with ROK Foreign Minister over bilateral ties and issues of common interest.

"China and the ROK are important neighbors and cooperative partners to each other and the bilateral relations between China and South Korea have maintained a sound momentum of development," Geng said.

"The two sides have maintained close coordination and cooperation on international and regional issues," Geng added.

Before visiting the ROK, Wang visited Japan and met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting. The two sides agreed to joint improve their relations and settle bilateral disputes with concrete actions.

Wang's visit comes ahead of the eighth China-Japan-ROK leaders' meeting in December in China's Chengdu City where Abe and ROK President Moon Jae-in are expected to attend.

The meeting, first proposed by the ROK in 2004 as a meeting outside the framework of the ASEAN Plus Three, is meant to function as a coordinator of cooperation between the ASEAN and the three East Asian nations to promote economic integration and multilateral trade in Asia. 

(Top image: File photo)