China-ROK relations cannot be damaged: Chinese FM

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Cho Tae-yul, foreign minister of the Republic of Korea (ROK), in Vientiane, Laos, July 26, 2024. (Photo by Kaikeo Saiyasane/Xinhua)

VIENTIANE, July 26 (Xinhua) -- China and the Republic of Korea (ROK) have close exchanges and cooperation in various fields and deeply integrated interests, thus the bilateral relations can not be damaged, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here on Friday when meeting with ROK Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said during the meeting that China and the ROK are close neighbors that cannot be moved away and should practice the correct way of neighborhood relations featuring mutual understanding and support.

China is ready to work with the ROK to stay true to the original intention of establishing diplomatic ties, stick to the position of partner, achieve positive interactions and promote the sound and steady development of bilateral relations, the Chinese foreign minister said.

Wang said the two sides need to foster and uphold mutual trust, seek common ground while shelving differences, do more to enhance mutual trust and avoid interference and impact from external factors.

Secondly, the two sides need to expand common interests, speed up the second phase of China-ROK FTA negotiations, and expand cooperation in emerging areas such as high-end manufacturing, biopharmaceuticals and artificial intelligence.

Furthermore, the two sides need to improve national sentiment and encourage more exchanges at the local level in areas of education, sports and media, among others.

Wang introduced the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, stressing that China will continue to promote high-quality development, adhere to high-level opening-up, and accelerate the construction of a new development pattern, which will bring huge cooperation opportunities to the ROK and other countries in the world.

China welcomes ROK companies to continue to explore the Chinese market, expand investment and cooperation in China, Wang said, adding that China and the ROK, both beneficiaries of free trade and economic globalization, should jointly resist politicization of economic issues and safeguard the free trade system as well as unimpeded production and supply chain.

For his part, Cho Tae-yul said the ROK and China have increased exchanges recently, opening up a new situation of communication and cooperation.

The ROK attaches importance to and is committed to strengthening relations with China, and looks forward to promoting exchanges at all levels, carrying out constructive dialogue and continuously developing the ROK-China strategic cooperative partnership, the senior diplomat said.

The ROK is willing to work with China to enhance the friendship between the two peoples and the resilience of bilateral relations, he said, adding the ROK has not changed its position of respecting the one-China policy and clearly understands that Taiwan is China's core interest.

The two sides also exchanged views on the situation on the Korean Peninsula. Wang said that China does not want to see conflicts or chaos on the Peninsula, and called on all relevant parties to play a constructive role in easing the situation and promoting the political settlement of the Korean Peninsula issue.