Cho Hyun “Repeated Request for Xi to Attend APEC”
Wang Yi: “Korea and China Should Meet and Communicate Frequently”
In the first meeting since the inauguration of the Lee Jae-myung administration, the foreign ministers of Korea and China shared expectations for the development of bilateral relations. Cho Hyun, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, reiterated a request for Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju. In contrast, Wang Yi, a member of the Chinese Communist Party Central Political Bureau and Minister of Foreign Affairs, urged South Korea to participate in strengthening China’s recently emphasized global governance initiative.
During the meeting held at Diaoyutai in Beijing, Minister Cho expressed his pleasure at meeting Wang in person following their phone call in July. He also mentioned the recent deployment of a special envoy from the Lee administration last month and the attendance of Woo Won-shik, Speaker of the National Assembly, at China’s Victory Day 80th-anniversary event earlier this month. Cho expressed hope that such interactions would lead to a more mature and in-depth development of Korea-China relations.
Minister Cho highlighted the upcoming APEC summit in Gyeongju at the end of October and reiterated the invitation to President Xi, emphasizing the significance of consecutive APEC meetings being held in Korea and China, forecasted for the following year. He expressed the hope that these events would not only advance APEC itself but also foster Korea-China relations.
Minister Wang Yi welcomed Minister Cho’s visit to China, stating, “China and Korea are close neighbors.” He highlighted the importance of frequent meetings and exchanges to enhance understanding, avoid miscalculations, bolster mutual trust, and deepen cooperation.
Wang Yi also acknowledged the sacrifice of Police Officer Lee Jae-seok, who died rescuing a distressed Chinese citizen on tidal flats, and expressed condolences and heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved family. Additionally, he brought attention to a heroic Chinese bus driver who risked his life to save about a dozen Korean passengers in Zhangjiajie last June, stating that these touching stories of friendship should be discovered and promoted to maintain goodwill and amicable perceptions between both nations.
Furthermore, Wang Yi mentioned President Xi’s recent global governance initiative propositions, emphasizing the need to steer the post-war international order toward a fairer direction.
The meeting was attended by various officials from both sides, including Wang Yi, Sun Weidong (Vice Minister), Liu Jinsong (Director-General of the Department of Asian Affairs), Chen Xiaochun (Deputy Director-General of the Department of Asian Affairs), and Spokesperson Guo Jiakun from the Chinese side. From the Korean side, Minister Cho was accompanied by Acting Ambassador to China Kim Han-kyu and others from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including Kang Young-shin (Director-General of the Northeast and Central Asia Bureau), Kim Sun-young (Director-General of the Bilateral Economic Diplomacy Bureau), and Baek Yong-jin (Director-General of the Korean Peninsula Policy Bureau).