S. Korea, China FMs signal Yoon-Xi summit during APEC in November

The top diplomats of South Korea and China agreed to continue high-level meetings between the two countries on the margins of multilateral gatherings, the foreign ministry said Sunday, signaling a summit between President Yoon Suk Yeol and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, reached the agreement as they met in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly to discuss bilateral ties and security on the Korean Peninsula, according to the South Korean foreign ministry.

The agreement strongly suggests that the two countries will push for a summit between Yoon and Xi on the margins of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum to be held in Peru in November and next year's APEC summit to be held in the South Korean city of Gyeongju.

"While assessing that high-level exchanges have taken place briskly between South Korea and China this year, the two sides agreed to continue with high-level exchanges at multilateral meetings in the second half of this year and work together to achieve substantial outcomes from these high-level meetings," the ministry said in a statement.

At the start of the meeting with Wang, Cho said that South Korea and China have a shared commitment to maintain the positive momentum of exchanges, including during the APEC summit this year, and he hopes the talks with Wang will serve as an opportunity to reaffirm and to develop the commitment.

Wang expressed his full support for South Korea's hosting of the APEC summit next year in the southeastern city of Gyeongju and said he will actively cooperate to help achieve fruitful results, according to the ministry.

The annual APEC summit is typically attended by the presidents of the two countries.

Xi last visited Seoul in July 2014 during the Park Geun-hye administration.

Cho also urged China to play a "constructive role" in addressing North Korea's nuclear threats, highlighting the significance of South Korea-China high-level talks amid intensifying provocations from Pyongyang ahead of the US elections.

Wang stressed it is in the "common interests" of all to safeguard peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and said China will continue to promote peace talks and play a constructive role to achieve permanent stability on the peninsula, according to his ministry. (Yonhap)