Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday said China is willing to strengthen exchanges with the Republic of Korea (ROK) and promote the China-ROK strategic cooperative partnership.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks when meeting with ROK Foreign Minister Park Jin on the sidelines of the trilateral foreign ministers' meeting between China, Japan and the ROK, in Busan, ROK.

Wang said that since the establishment of diplomatic ties more than 30 years ago, China-ROK relations have developed comprehensively and rapidly with win-win cooperation and common prosperity, which have brought huge benefits to both peoples and made positive contributions to regional peace and stability.

Noting the international and regional situation has undergone changes, Wang said China-ROK relations have also seen many new developments.

However, Wang said, China and the ROK are close neighbors that cannot be moved away, and this objective fact will never change.

A good relationship between the two countries benefits both sides, and vice versa, Wang said, adding that this principle will never change.

Noting the development of China-ROK relations should be in line with friendly cooperation, Wang said China is ready to strengthen exchanges and communication with the ROK, stick to the original intention of establishing diplomatic ties, adhere to mutual respect and trust, eliminate external interference, confirm the strategic cooperative partnership and constantly add new connotations to it.

With a complete industrial system and a very large market, China will open up at a higher level, Wang said, adding that this will continue to provide new opportunities for China-ROK mutually beneficial cooperation.

The Chinese foreign minister said both China and the ROK should jointly resist politicization of economic issues and instrumentalization of scientific and technological issues, and push for greater development of bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

Park congratulated China on successfully hosting the Hangzhou Asian Games.

Echoing Wang, Park said the ROK government believes that the ROK-China strategic cooperative partnership is in line with the interests of both countries and both peoples and is willing to continue to move forward.

The ROK is willing to strengthen dialogue and communication with China at all levels, deepen economic and trade cooperation, maintain the stability of the supply chain, promote cultural and people-to-people exchanges and push forward the strategic partnership between the two countries, Park said.

Park noted the trilateral foreign ministers' meeting was held for the first time in more than four years, and said he expected the meeting to achieve positive results and deepen trilateral cooperation. 

Wang said that China supports the ROK in hosting the trilateral foreign ministers' meeting and is willing to work with the ROK and Japan to promote trilateral cooperation.

The two sides also exchanged views on the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

(Cover via CFP)