Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao on Saturday exchanged views on maintaining the stability of industrial and supply chains, and on enhancing regional, bilateral and multilateral cooperation between China and the Republic of Korea (ROK) with Kim Jung-kwan, ROK minister of trade, industry and energy.

During a meeting in the ROK city of Gyeongju, Wang said the two sides should strengthen communication and coordination through channels like the hotline for industrial and supply chain cooperation and the dialogue on export controls to ensure the stability and unimpeded flow of bilateral industrial and supply chains.

Both sides should also enhance cooperation under frameworks like the World Trade Organization and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, work for an early resumption of the negotiation on a China-Japan-ROK free trade agreement, and jointly uphold free trade and multilateralism, said Wang.

Kim, on his part, said China is an important economic and trade partner of the ROK.

The ROK is willing to work with China to accelerate the second-phase negotiation on the China-ROK free trade agreement, advance local-level economic and trade cooperation, deepen bilateral trade and investment, and strengthen regional and multilateral cooperation, he said.