In a significant move towards strengthening bilateral ties, Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol in Seoul on Sunday. Premier Li emphasized the importance of fostering friendship and mutual trust between the two nations, highlighting the need to respect each other's core interests and major concerns.
During their discussions, Premier Li expressed his hope that China and South Korea could become friendly neighbors built on mutual trust and partners in achieving shared goals. He underscored the deep interconnection between the industrial and supply chains of both countries, calling for the seizing of more development opportunities together.
Premier Li outlined China's readiness to enhance cooperation with South Korea in key areas such as high-end manufacturing, new energy, artificial intelligence, and biomedicine. He also announced Chinaâs intention to further expand market access and strengthen guarantees for foreign investment, welcoming South Korean companies to invest in China.
Both leaders agreed on the importance of preventing economic and trade issues from escalating into political or security conflicts. Premier Li stressed the necessity of maintaining stable and smooth industrial and supply chains, not just for China and South Korea but for the global economy as well.
On the broader international stage, Premier Li reiterated Chinaâs willingness to cooperate with South Korea in multilateral forums to jointly promote world peace and development. President Yoon affirmed South Koreaâs adherence to the one-China principle, stating that his country remains committed to expanding economic and trade cooperation with China.
The two leaders also agreed to accelerate the second phase of the Free Trade Agreement negotiations, aiming to enhance economic ties further. Additionally, they planned to launch high-level diplomatic and security dialogues at appropriate times, promote people-to-people and youth exchanges, and facilitate broader interactions between their citizens.
Premier Li's visit to Seoul was part of his participation in the ninth trilateral summit meeting of China, Japan, and South Korea, underscoring the regional commitment to collaborative growth and stability.
Reference(s):
Li Qiang calls for steady development of China-South Korea ties
cgtn.com
