China, South Korea pledge to deepen cooperation ahead of APEC meeting

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun in Beijing on Friday, calling for stronger mutual trust and expanded cooperation as bilateral ties continue to improve.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said visits by the two heads of state since late last year had helped put bilateral relations back on a positive track.

With the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations approaching in 2027, Wang called on both sides to build on the momentum and further advance their strategic cooperative partnership.

He said China is ready to deepen traditional cooperation with South Korea while exploring new opportunities in emerging sectors, including artificial intelligence, biomedicine, green and low-carbon industries, and the silver economy.

Wang also highlighted the importance of China and South Korea working together to promote regional peace and development. He welcomed South Korea's participation in this year's APEC activities in China and expressed China's readiness to work with Seoul to advance the building of an Asia-Pacific community.

Cho said bilateral relations had recovered and developed following exchanges between the two countries' leaders, with significant growth in trade and people-to-people exchanges reflecting the implementation of their consensus.

He reaffirmed that South Korea's position on the one-China policy would not change and expressed support for China's hosting of the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Shenzhen.

Cho also expressed his hope for stronger bilateral cooperation, saying the two sides should work together to deliver tangible benefits to their peoples as they approach the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations next year.