Chinese President Xi Jinping and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung held a phone conversation on Tuesday, pledging to elevate their strategic cooperative partnership to new heights. The leaders emphasized the importance of strengthening ties to benefit their peoples and contribute to regional and global stability.
President Xi extended his congratulations to President Lee on his recent election, highlighting the deep-rooted relationship between China and South Korea. “As close neighbors, our nations cannot be moved away from each other,” Xi said.
Reflecting on the 33 years since establishing diplomatic relations, Xi noted that both countries have transcended ideological differences and actively pursued cooperation across various fields. This collaboration has contributed to mutual success and common development.
“A sound, stable, and ever-deepening China-South Korea relationship aligns with the times, serves our peoples’ fundamental interests, and promotes peace and prosperity,” Xi stated. He called for both nations to uphold good-neighborliness, strive for mutual benefit, and work towards win-win outcomes.
President Xi proposed enhancing exchanges at all levels to increase strategic mutual trust. He emphasized the need for bilateral cooperation and multilateral coordination to safeguard multilateralism and free trade, ensuring stable global and regional industrial and supply chains.
He also suggested deepening people-to-people and cultural exchanges to foster mutual understanding and strengthen public support. “We should plant the seeds of China-South Korea friendship deep in the hearts of our peoples,” Xi said.
President Lee agreed with Xi’s remarks, acknowledging the close geographical proximity and longstanding ties between the two nations. He expressed admiration for China’s development achievements under Xi’s leadership and emphasized his commitment to deepening good-neighborly relations.
Lee conveyed his readiness to enhance mutual goodwill and achieve more results in bilateral cooperation, highlighting the strong economic, trade, and cultural connections between South Korea and China.
