S Korea, China diplomats vow to strengthen ties

SEOUL, November 26

The foreign ministers of South Korea and China pledged on Thursday to work together to advance bilateral ties and tackle regional and global issues, including stalled nuclear talks involving North Korea and the coronavirus pandemic.

South Korea’s Kang Kyung-wha held talks with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi who arrived in Seoul late on Wednesday, after spending two days in Tokyo amid talk of a trip to Seoul by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The two held “extensive, in-depth” discussions on a Xi visit and other issues of mutual interests, South Korean foreign ministry spokesman Choi Young-sam told a briefing. Wang told Kang his visit was to highlight the importance of bilateral relations as the two countries cooperate as “strategic partners” on defending regional peace and stability and promote global governance. “The Covid-19 crisis could not defeat the citizens of our two countries,” he said at the start of the meeting, through an interpreter. — Reuters