By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee

Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul, who attended the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, held a 45-minute meeting with Wang Yi, a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Minister of Foreign Affairs, to exchange views on issues of mutual interest, including China-ROK relations and the Korean Peninsula on Sept. 28.

The two sides evaluated the high-level exchanges between China and Korea so far this year, and decided to continue high-level exchanges at multilateral meetings in the second half of this year, including the APEC Leaders' Meeting in November, and to work closely to achieve practical results from these high-level consultations. 

In particular, Mr. Wang expressed his full support for Korea's chairmanship of the APEC next year, and offered to actively cooperate to ensure that the APEC Leaders' Meeting in Gyeongju achieves fruitful results.

Minister Cho expressed his gratitude to Wang for personally welcoming a delegation from the China-Korea Parliamentary Union during their recent visit to China (Sept. 18-20), and expressed his willingness to work closely together to ensure the success of the China-Korea Friendship and Future Forum. 

The two sides agreed that economic cooperation is an important basis for contributing to each other's economies and people's livelihoods, and will continue to strengthen the momentum of practical cooperation between the two countries. Wang said that as two major economic powers in the region, China and South Korea should actively work together to promote economic integration in the Asia-Pacific region.

Cho also emphasized the significance of the two countries' high-level strategic communication in the context of North Korea's escalating threats ahead of the U.S. presidential election, including North Korea's successive ballistic missile launches, unveiling of its uranium enrichment facility, and various provocations by the Supreme People's Congress in early October, and called for China's constructive role in the Korean Peninsula. 

In response, Wang said that the two countries have common interests in maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, and the Chinese side will continue to play a constructive role. Cho also emphasized the importance his government attaches to the protection of North Korean defectors and asked for the Chinese side's special attention and cooperation.

Minister Cho has been in close strategic communication with Mr. Wang, holding three meetings with him in Beijing in May, Vientiane in July, and New York in September. Wang expressed his hope to visit South Korea at a mutually convenient time to continue strategic communication with Cho.