China and South Korea plan security talks as efforts to repair relations after US missile row continue
- Beijing says it hopes the two sides can cooperate on North Korea, trade and technology following a meeting between the two countries’ foreign ministers on Saturday
- Relations are slowly getting back on track after the 2016 dispute that saw South Korean businesses hit by an economic backlash from its most important trading partner
China and South Korea have agreed to new security talks and discussed a possible visit by President Xi Jinping as the two sides continued efforts to rebuild their relationships following the 2016 row about a US missile system that seriously harmed ties.
Saturday’s meeting between the two countries’ foreign ministers Wang Yi and Chung Eui-yong in the Chinese city of Xiamen was South Korea’s first ministerial level visit to China since 2017.
The two sides have agreed to hold diplomatic and security discussions within the next three months, while Beijing also called for more cooperation with Seoul on trade, hi-tech development and North Korea.
Relations cooled dramatically in 2016 when South Korea agreed to install a US anti-missile system on its soil, prompting an unofficial boycott of South Korean businesses and products in China.
But Seoul has continued to try to strike a balance between its alliance with the United States and the economic importance of its links to China. Last month following a visit by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Chung said that Seoul valued its relations with both sides and did not wish to pick sides.
“The Korea-China foreign ministers’ meeting was an opportunity for strategic communication with a major neighbouring country of the Korean peninsula following bilateral talks with the US and Russia,” Seoul said in a statement.
The South Korean statement added that Beijing had “reiterated Chinese President Xi Jinping’s wish to visit Korea” and the two sides agreed to continue active communications about the visit.
Wang said China and South Korea will “seek a process for a political resolution to the Korean peninsula issue”.