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South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun (left) shakes hands with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on September 17. / Source: Joint Press Corps-Yonhap

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met with Wang Yi, director of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Foreign Affairs Commission and foreign minister, in Beijing on September 17 for three hours of talks and dinner, discussing bilateral ties and issues related to the Korean Peninsula.

According to Seoul’s Foreign Ministry, Cho emphasized the government’s pursuit of tangible progress toward denuclearization and peace on the peninsula through dialogue and cooperation, urging Beijing to help encourage North Korea’s return to talks.

Wang said China would continue to play a constructive role in promoting peace and stability on the peninsula and called for sustained communication.

Cho stressed that while South Korea will continue strengthening its alliance with the United States, it also seeks to advance the “strategic cooperative partnership” with China based on national interest and pragmatism. He also highlighted the importance of improving mutual understanding and goodwill between the peoples of both countries.

Wang reaffirmed Beijing’s consistency in its policy toward Seoul and expressed willingness to elevate the bilateral partnership to a higher level.

Looking ahead to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju later this year, Cho said he hoped the meeting would deliver concrete benefits to the peoples of both nations. Wang noted the significance of both countries hosting consecutive APEC summits this year and next.

Cho invited Wang to visit South Korea before the APEC summit, to which Wang responded that he looked forward to meeting Cho in Seoul soon.

During the talks, Cho underscored the need to respect mutual concerns, including issues in the West Sea, and requested China’s cooperation in safeguarding the safety and rights of Korean nationals in China. He also said that as bilateral economic ties evolve from vertical specialization to horizontal cooperation, the two nations should adapt their cooperation model to the changing times.

The two ministers also agreed to make use of trilateral cooperation mechanisms with Japan to advance regional collaboration.

Separately, Wang offered condolences on behalf of the Chinese government for the recent death of South Korean officer Lee Jae-seok, who was killed during a rescue operation of Chinese nationals.