Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun (fourth from front in left row) on Sept. 17 attends bilateral talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi (fourth from front in right row), director of the Chinese Communist Party's Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing. (Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
By Kim Hyelin
Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun on Sept. 17 met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Chinese Communist Party's Central Committee, in Beijing to discuss issues of mutual interest including bilateral ties and Korean Peninsula issues.
The three-hour summit was the first between the foreign ministers of both sides since the launch of the Lee administration in Korea.
Minister Cho stressed the meeting's significance for the development of bilateral relations and urged joint efforts toward major contributions to the people's livelihood in the two countries by utilizing the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, which opens late next month in Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province.
Minister Wang welcomed Minister Cho's visit to China and said advancing Seoul-Beijing ties was also important to China given Korea's hosting of the APEC Summit this year and China doing the same next year.
Minister Cho explained his government's stance on pursuing the "mature" development of the strategic cooperative partnership with China based on national interests and practicality, while simultaneously solidifying the Korea-U.S. alliance.
He also suggested strengthening the foundation of public sentiment by raising mutual understanding and friendship between Koreans and Chinese.
Minister Wang said he will maintain the stability and continuity of friendly policy toward Korea and suggested cooperation for raising their strategic cooperative partnership.
Turning to the economy, Minister Cho said Korea-China cooperation is transitioning from a vertical division of labor to horizontal cooperation, thus the economic cooperation model must also evolve with the times.
Both ministers also agreed to leverage their trilateral cooperative mechanism with Japan to continue regional collaboration.
Minister Cho said mutual interests must be respected including those in the Yellow (West) Sea, requesting Chinese cooperation to protect the safety and rights of Koreans in China.
He also announced his pursuit of dialogue and cooperation to achieve a nuclear-free and peaceful Korean Peninsula, urging China to help get North Korea back to dialogue.
Minister Wang responded that he will continue to play a constructive role for peace and stability on the peninsula and urged close communication.
Minister Cho also invited his Chinese counterpart to visit Korea before the APEC Summit, to which the latter responded that he hoped to meet again soon in Korea.
On a humanitarian note, the Chinese diplomat on behalf of Beijing expressed deep condolences over Lee Jae-seok, a Korea Coast Guard officer who died on Sept. 11 while saving an elderly Chinese man on a tidal flat off the coast of Incheon.
kimhyelin211@korea.kr