Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The People’s Republic of China
Wang Yi Meets with ROK Foreign Minister Park Jin
Updated: July 15, 2023 03:30

On July 14, 2023 local time, Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs Wang Yi met with Foreign Minister Park Jin of the Republic of Korea (ROK) in Jakarta at the latter's request.

Wang Yi said that China and the ROK, facing each other across the sea, are close neighbors that will always live next to each other; the two countries are inseparable partners with economic complementarity; and the millennia-old people-to-people exchanges have forged an unbreakable bond. China maintains continuity and stability in its policy of good-neighborliness and friendship towards the ROK. This policy does not target any third party, nor should it be affected by any third party. China-ROK relations can and should make sound, steady and sustained progress. Recently, China-ROK relations have faced increasing difficulties and challenges. This goes against the fundamental and long-term interests of the two peoples. China is ready to work with the ROK to uphold the spirit of mutual respect, pursue the gentleman's way of "seeking harmony without uniformity", strengthen communication, rebuild mutual trust, work to bring the China-ROK strategic cooperative partnership back on the track of sound and stable development, and prevent the achievements made over the 30 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations from being tarnished.

Wang Yi stressed that both sides should leverage the strengths of geographical proximity, economic integration, and close people-to-people and cultural ties, steer clear of disruptions, pursue harmonious coexistence, restart exchanges at all levels, and firmly promote mutually beneficial cooperation. Through these efforts, the two sides will inject more positive expectations into bilateral relations, bring more benefits to the two peoples, and make greater contributions to regional peace, stability and development. The Taiwan question, which is at the very core of China's core interest, bears on the political foundation and basic trust of China-ROK relations. China hopes that the ROK will abide by the one-China principle and handle it prudently and properly.

Park Jin said that the ROK and China are close neighbors and strategic cooperative partners. The smooth development of ROK-China relations serves the common interests of both sides and will also contribute to regional peace and stability. The ROK has all along respected the one-China principle, and this position remains unchanged. The ROK is ready to work with China to deepen exchanges and cooperation in various fields based on the principle of mutual respect and mutual benefit, to open up a new three decades of bilateral relations. The ROK expects the two sides to maintain high-level interactions and communication, strengthen cooperation on industrial and supply chains, and animate people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

The two sides also had an exchange of views on the situation on the Korean Peninsula and other international and regional issues of mutual interest and concern.