Top Envoys of China, South Korea Agree to Boost Strategic Ties

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(Bloomberg) — China and South Korea’s top diplomats pledged to deepen their strategic partnership in their first meeting since Seoul’s leadership change earlier this year.

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South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met with China’s Wang Yi in Beijing on Wednesday, urging Beijing’s cooperation to bring North Korea back to the dialogue table. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s administration has vowed to improve ties with both North Korea and China but Pyongyang has shunned Seoul’s efforts to reduce tensions.  

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“Minister Cho said that our government is committed to strengthening the South Korea-US alliance while also advancing the mature development of the ‘Strategic Cooperative Partnership between South Korea and China,’” South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said in a readout. 

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The meeting marked the first foreign ministerial talks between China and South Korea after President Lee took office in June. On the campaign trail, Lee had promised a more balanced approach toward Washington and Beijing.

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Wang called for joint efforts to oppose trade protectionism and safeguard the global free trade system, while highlighting the need to deepen cooperation, as well as “properly manage sensitive issues,” a separate readout from China said.

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“Both China and South Korea are beneficiaries of economic globalization. Under the backdrop of rampant unilateral bullying, two countries should jointly oppose trade protectionism and uphold the international free trade system,” the readout said.

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Cho invited Wang to visit South Korea before the APEC summit in Gyeongju later this fall and Wang said he looked forward to meeting Cho in Korea soon.

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The meeting comes amid renewed tensions between South Korea and the US, following an unprecedented US immigration crackdown that has raised doubts about their ties. The fallout from a raid at a Hyundai Motor Co.-LG Energy Solution Ltd. EV battery plant under construction in Georgia has added uncertainty over a July trade deal between the allies that has yet to be finalized in writing.

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Earlier this month, Xi hosted North Korea’s Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing for a large military parade. During a summit held on the sidelines of the event, Xi told Kim that Beijing is committed to strengthening ties with Pyongyang in their first bilateral meeting in six years.  

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Beijing has long been North Korea’s primary supporter, providing crucial economic lifelines as the US and its allies upheld sanctions against the isolated regime. Pyongyang has recently moved closer to Moscow, with Kim positioning himself as a key ally of Putin in his war against Ukraine, but Kim’s latest visit appears aimed at rebuilding ties with China. 

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—With assistance from Belinda Cao and Jing Li.

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