Xi Jinping calls on Yoon Suk-yeol to ‘eliminate disturbances’ as China, South Korea mark 30 years of ties

Congratulatory letters read out at receptions in Beijing and Seoul, with Xi hailing ‘good neighbours’ and Yoon expressing hope for face-to-face talks

Xi also called on South Korea to respect China’s core interests while Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged Seoul to oppose ‘decoupling and breaking links’

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Foreign Minister Wang Yi attends a reception in Beijing on Wednesday marking 30 years of diplomatic ties between China and South Korea. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 8:30pm, 25 Aug 2022

Beijing has called on Seoul to respect its core interests and oppose “decoupling” as the neighbours marked 30 years of diplomatic ties at a tense time in the relationship.

In congratulatory letters, Chinese President Xi Jinping hailed South Korea as “good neighbours, good friends and good partners”, while his South Korean counterpart Yoon Suk-yeol expressed hope for a face-to-face meeting with Xi.

Their messages were read out at receptions in Beijing and Seoul on Wednesday by the Chinese and South Korean foreign ministers, Wang Yi and Park Jin.

In his letter, Xi said he was willing to strengthen “strategic communication” with Yoon “at this critical moment” for bilateral ties and the world, which he said had entered “a new period of turbulence and transformation”.

He said the two countries should “respect and trust each other, accommodate each other’s core interests and major concerns”, while “eliminating disturbances … to jointly create an even better future for bilateral relations”, according to a transcript on the foreign ministry’s website.

South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin (left) meets his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Qingdao, China on August 9. Photo: AP

At the reception in Beijing, Wang hailed the decision to normalise bilateral ties in 1992 – despite opposition from Chinese ally North Korea – as a visionary “ice-breaking” decision that began their close trade ties.