Wang Yi calls for healthy development of China-South Korea ties

Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese foreign minister, held a phone conversation with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul on Tuesday. 

China has always regarded South Korea as an important partner, Wang said, expressing hope that South Korea will promote the return of relations between the two countries to a healthy and stable track of development. 

Noting that China and South Korea have close economic ties, and their supply chains are highly interlocked, he said both sides should work together to maintain the stability and smooth flow of the supply chains and resist the politicization of economic issues.

Cho said the South Korean government attaches great importance to the development of relations with China, and is willing to work with China to enhance mutual trust, focus on cooperation and close high-level exchanges, and continue to accumulate results in the economic, people-to-people exchange and other fields, so as to promote the sustainable development of relations between the two countries. 

South Korea's commitment to the one-China policy remains unchanged, he said. The two sides have close economic and trade ties, and they should strengthen communication and coordination on maintaining the stability of the production and supply chain, he added.

The two sides also exchanged views on the situation on the Korean Peninsula. Wang said that the current situation on the peninsula is tense for a reason, and hoped that all parties would remain calm and exercise restraint, refrain from acts that exacerbate tensions, and resolve their reasonable concerns through dialogue and consultation.