China and South Korea vow to improve bilateral ties

World Today

The leaders of China and the Republic of Korea have vowed to improve ties. Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed his Republic of Korea’s counterpart to Beijing, and said the two countries will respect each other’s core interests. Both also agreed that denuclearizing the DPRK is critical.

CGTN’s Wang Hui has more from Beijing.

Welcomed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, South Korean President Moon Jae-in is paying his first visit to China since taking office. During Thursday’s meeting, Xi said China would like to facilitate strategic cooperation between China and the ROK to develop on the “right track.”

He also touched upon the DPRK’s nuclear issue.

“China-ROK relations and the situation on the Korean Peninsula are in a critical state now,” said Chinese President Xi. “As friendly neighbors and strategic partners, China and South Korea share extensive common interests and wide-ranging cooperation prospects for maintaining regional peace and promoting regional development.”

The two presidents exchanged views on the Korean Peninsula, which has drawn much attention from the international community. Chinese President Xi reiterated that we must stick to the goal of denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, and must not allow a war or chaos to happen. He added that the issue should be resolved through dialogues and consultations.

President Xi also emphasized China’s stance on the THAAD missile defense system, and hopes the ROK continues to handle this problem properly.

President Moon Jae-in said that the ROK is dedicated to resolving the nuclear issue through peaceful means, and is willing to maintain regional peace and stability with China.

“I hope we confirm our common stance that we peacefully resolve DPRK issues that threaten peace and stability of not only Northeast Asia but also of the entire world, along with discussing specific cooperative measures,” said Seoul’s President Moon.

President Moon Jae-In also said South Korea would like to strengthen political mutual trust, deepen cooperation, strengthen communication on international and regional issues, and enhance the South Korea-China strategic cooperation partnership to a new level.

He also spoke of his willingness to take part in China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed the ROK’s participation, and said he would like to discuss ways to achieve mutually beneficial and win-win results.

After the meeting between the two leaders, the two sides signed memoranda of understanding, covering trade and the economy, the environment, agriculture and energy.

After President Moon Jae-In’s trip to Beijing, he will visit Chongqing municipality in southwest China, to attend a business forum and meet with the South Korean business community.


Sourabh Gupta of ICAS discusses ROK Pres Moon’s visit to Beijing

Republic of Korea’s President Moon Jae-in is on his first state visit to China. During this trip, he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The two talked about strengthening bilateral ties, and working to de-nuclearize the DPRK.


Jonathan Pollock from the Brookings Institution discusses China-ROK relations

CGTN’s Elaine Reyes interviews Jonathan Pollock, Senior Fellow at the center for East Asia Policy Studies at the Brookings Institutution about relations between China and the Republic of Korea as ROK President Moon Jae-in visits Beijing.