Work together for win-win outcomes, Chinese envoy urges S Korea
As close neighbors, the only choice for China and South Korea is to maintain friendly relations and work together for win-win outcomes, a Chinese envoy said on Aug 31. "Looking back at history, the most important experience in the development of the bilateral relationship between China and South Korea is respecting each other's core interests and major concerns," said Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming, according to the embassy website. Xing was speaking at a seminar marking the 31st anniversary of bilateral relations in Seoul. Organized by the Institute for Global Strategy and Cooperation, the seminar brought together experts from the government, academia, and think tanks to explore the direction and issues of a new China-South Korea relationship and provide suggestions on regional issues and the development of bilateral ties. Xing noted that focusing on ideological differences will only lead to confrontation. China is willing to work with South Korea to revisit the original intentions of establishing diplomatic ties and to jointly promote the sustainable and healthy development of bilateral relations, he said. As countries with different political systems, China and South Korea should seek common ground and set aside differences to allow more understanding and tolerance, Xing said. He added that he hoped bilateral relations could overcome difficulties and embrace a brighter future through joint efforts. Regarding the complex issue of the Korean Peninsula, Xing said the highly intense situation and confrontation could potentially lead to accidents and even a military conflict, which is undesirable for all parties involved. "The immediate priority is to de-escalate the tension and return to the path of dialogue and negotiation," said Xing. Noting China is proactively committed to building a community with a shared future for humankind, Xing said the country opposes moves toward "de-risking" and "decoupling", which go against the tide of history and can have a far-reaching impact on the international order, global peace, stability, and development. Hong Young-pyo, president of the Korea-China Parliamentary Federation, said China plays an irreplaceable role in global issues such as economic and trade cooperation, climate change, nuclear non-proliferation, and sustainable development. China is South Korea's top trading partner but exports to China have been declining for 14 months in a row, causing a significant blow to the country's export market, said Hong, adding that South Korea should actively communicate with China on existing issues and seek solutions. With South Korea-China relations marking their 31st anniversary, Hwang Jae-ho, director of the Institute for Global Strategy and Cooperation, said the two sides should take the opportunity to re-evaluate the foundation of their bilateral ties and form a new relationship that can engage in strategic communication. Hwang said he hopes the two countries can overcome challenges and strive to become more mature partners as the further advancement of bilateral relations is in the interests of both sides. Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin spoke by phone on Aug 31, according to Xinhua News Agency. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said China's policy toward South Korea has maintained continuity and stability. He added that the development of bilateral relations has an internal driving force and inevitable logic, and should not be influenced by a third party. The South Korean side looks forward to enhancing high-level exchanges with China, strengthening people-to-people exchanges, improving mutual understanding and actively building a sound and mature South Korea-China relationship, Park said.