Wang Yi Holds Phone Talks with South Korean Foreign Minister Park Chun
On August 31, 2023, Wang Yi, a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China and Minister of Foreign Affairs, had a phone conversation with South Korean Foreign Minister Park Chun at the invitation.
Wang Yi stated that China's policy towards South Korea maintains continuity and stability. The development of bilateral relations has endogenous momentum and inevitable logic, and should not be influenced by third parties. China and South Korea should adhere to the original intention of establishing diplomatic relations, adhere to the correct direction of friendly cooperation, continuously enhance mutual understanding between the two peoples, prevent external factors from interfering, avoid ideological delineation, jointly promote stable and far-reaching relations between the two countries, and create the next 30 years of more sustainable, resilient, and closer cooperation. Economic and trade cooperation is the cornerstone of bilateral relations. China has enormous economic development potential and vast market space, and is accelerating the construction of a new high-level open economic system. Expanding cooperation between China and South Korea will help South Korea achieve sustainable and prosperous development. We hope that the South Korean side will strengthen strategic autonomy, resist various anti globalization operations and "decoupling and disconnection", deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields between the two countries, and better benefit the people of both countries. China supports South Korea as the chair of China Japan South Korea cooperation to play a positive role in promoting trilateral cooperation.
Park Zhen expressed sincere condolences to some regions of China for the recent flooding disasters and wished the upcoming 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou a complete success, becoming a grand event of peace and unity. Park Jin stated that South Korea and China are close neighbors and important partners. This year marks the second 30-year starting point of South Korea China relations. The government of Yoon Seok yeol highly praises the fruitful achievements in the relationship between South Korea and China since the establishment of diplomatic relations, and will continue to attach importance to and develop the relationship between South Korea and China. The South Korean side looks forward to close high-level exchanges and dialogue with China, strengthening cultural exchanges, improving mutual understanding, and actively building a healthy and mature South Korea China relationship. The South Korean side has no intention of decoupling specific countries in the supply chain issue, and "de Sinicization" is neither possible nor advisable. The South Korean side is willing to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation with China, maintain stable and smooth supply chains, and jointly promote regional economic growth.
Both sides also exchanged views on Japan's nuclear contaminated water discharge into the sea and the Korean Peninsula issue.
