Yoon asks China's Xi to play 'constructive' role in N. Korea's provocation, military cooperation with Russia

President Yoon Suk Yeol asked Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday to play a "constructive" role in North Korea's provocations and Pyongyang's deepening military cooperation with Russia in support of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Yoon made the remark at a summit with Xi on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation in Lima amid heightened concerns over North Korea's repeated ballistic missile tests and troop deployment to Russia, Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo said in a briefing.

"I hope that our two nations will cooperate to promote stability and peace in the region in response to North Korea's repeated provocations, the war in Ukraine and military cooperation between Russia and North Korea," Yoon was quoted as saying at the summit with Xi.

Yoon described China as an "important country" for close cooperation in areas of security, economy, culture and people-to-people exchanges, saying that he expects the two nations to develop their strategic cooperative partnership based on "mutual respect, reciprocity, and common interests."

As the bilateral free trade agreement marks the 10th anniversary next year, the two leaders agreed to accelerate negotiations to upgrade the deal to lower barriers in services and investment, the presidential office said.

Yoon also asked for Beijing's support in ensuring a "predictable and stable" business environment for Korean companies in the country, South Korea's largest trading partner, it noted.

In response, Xi said China does not want escalating tension on the Korean Peninsula, expressing hope for the parties involved to pursue a peaceful resolution through dialogue and negotiations for "a political solution," according to Kim.

Xi also said the two countries should pursue the "healthy and steady" development of bilateral ties to contribute more to regional peace, stability and prosperity and bring benefits to people of both nations.

"While the global and regional situation has changed a lot over the past two years, China-South Korea relations have overall maintained momentum for development," Xi said through a translator.

"Regardless of how circumstances shift, the two countries should adhere to the original intention of establishing bilateral diplomatic ties, uphold the direction of good-neighborly friendship, and remain committed to the goal of mutual benefit and co-prosperity," he added.

During the summit, the two leaders exchanged invitations to visit each other's countries to continue their discussions and further enhance bilateral relations, according to the presidential office.

Beijing recently added South Korea to its list of temporary visa waiver countries, a move cautiously welcomed by Seoul as a step toward improving bilateral ties. South Korea expressed hope that this decision would help foster a more "friendly sentiment" between the two nations.