This year marks the 30th anniversary of normalized diplomatic ties between China and the Republic of Korea. Over the past 30 years, bilateral relations have made significant strides in a number of areas. Yoo Sumin reports.

To mark the occasion, an official celebratory event was held in Seoul, hosted by the Chinese embassy and attended by high-ranking officials including Chinese ambassador to South Korea – Xing Haiming, and South Korea's Foreign Minister Park Jin.

Xing Haiming shared a congratulatory letter from Chinese President Xi Jinping, which noted the two nations' long-standing friendship and geographic proximity.

XING HAIMING Chinese Ambassador to South Korea "China and South Korea are permanent neighbors, and the people of the two countries have a long history of friendly exchanges. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties 30 years ago, China-ROK relations have developed in all directions, achieved fruitful results, and brought great benefits to the two countries and the two peoples."

South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin also delivered a congratulatory message from President Yoon Suk-yeol.

PARK JIN South Korean Foreign Minister "I sincerely hope the two countries will move forward toward mutual cooperation, a mature, and healthy bilateral relations based on mutual respect."

In a separate speech, South Korea's top diplomat not only highlighted the exponential increase in trade volume between the two countries, which has increased nearly 50 times since 1992. He also noted the importance of people-to-people exchanges that could be the foundation of a stable development of bilateral ties going forward.

And as we are witnessing the reorganization of global supply chains and facing serious issues like climate change, both sides emphasized the importance of close cooperation.

YOO SUMIN Seoul "The 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and South Korea comes at a highly precarious time. There are critical geopolitical and security risks. Despite those challenges, mutual respect and mutual trust will be the key in advancing their relations for the next 30 years. Yoo Sumin, CGTN, Seoul."