S. Korea, China shifting from tensions to cooperation: Seoul

The vice ministers of South Korea and China committed on Wednesday to achieving tangible outcomes in their bilateral cooperation and exchanges, which have recently regained momentum, departing from the period of diplomatic chill that persisted until last year, the South Korean Foreign Ministry said Thursday.

South Korea's First Vice Foreign Minister, Kim Hong-kyun, met with China's Executive Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ma Zhaoxu, the highest-ranking of the vice ministers, in Seoul for the 10th Vice Foreign Ministerial Strategic Dialogue.

The dialogue was held for the first time in around two years and seven months, following the last virtual meeting in December 2021. The last in-person dialogue took place in Beijing in June 2017, however.

Seoul and Beijing on Wednesday engaged in "in-depth discussions on a wide range of issues" for around 4 hours and 40 minutes, a senior official at South Korea's Foreign Ministry confirmed on condition of anonymity during a closed-door briefing.

Topics covered included the enhancement of bilateral ties between Seoul and Beijing, the US presidential election, and issues related to North Korea, such as China's forced preparation of North Korean defectors, North Korea's ongoing provocations and the closer alignment between North Korea and Russia.

The senior official noted that the talks between Kim and Ma were conducted in a more amicable atmosphere, with both sides focusing on "fostering empathy from the other side" on pending issues where their views differ, in an effort to expand mutual understanding.

"The atmosphere seemed to stem from a shared understanding between South Korea and China to manage the relationship, which had been somewhat strained until last year, in a stable manner and to develop it by achieving outcomes (in cooperation) step by step," said the official who attended the meeting.

"Korea and China agreed to maintain the momentum of exchanges and cooperation based on mutual understanding of further developing their strategic cooperative partnership," the official explained.

Both sides committed to "expand and deepen discussions on economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people exchanges" through existing consultative bodies, including the Korea-China Meeting for Comprehensive Review of Economic Cooperation and working-level meetings on consular affairs, the official added.

The official stated that both sides had "in-depth, candid and heart-to-heart talks" on issues of mutual interest, including South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's attendance at the NATO summit in Washington in July.

The official confirmed that both sides also "exchanged opinions" on the US presidential election.

Yi Won-woo, Deputy Director-General for North American Affairs from South Korea's Foreign Ministry, and Zheng Liqiao, Deputy Director-General of the Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs at the Chinese Ministry, also participated in the meeting

First since Putin's NK trip

The official said the meeting had "significance in the sense of timing when North Korea continues to engage in complex provocations and is strengthening its military and economic ties with Russia."

The strategic dialogue also marks the first meeting between senior South Korean and Chinese officials since Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Pyongyang in mid-June, the first such trip in 24 years since 2000. The foreign and defense vice ministers met for the Korea-China Foreign Policy and Security Dialogue, a day before Putin's trip.

"We expressed our concerns about the closer alignment between Russia and North Korea and requested that China make necessary efforts in this regard, which was one key point of our discussions," the official said.

Both sides also concentrated on discussing how to "manage the situation on the Korean Peninsula in a stable manner" in response to North Korea's complex provocations, including the continued launch of trash-filled balloons toward South Korea, the official added.

When asked about China's response to South Korea's concerns over the closer alignment between Russia and North Korea, the official indirectly answered, "China's participation in meetings with South Korea indicates its need for a strategic dialogue on Korean Peninsula affairs."

South Korea and China have continued strategic communication, following the agreement between Yoon and Premier Li Qiang in May to activate communication channels between the two countries in diplomacy and security.

The two also have maintained high-level exchanges, including South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul’s trip to Beijing in May. Xin Changxing, Secretary of the Jiangsu Provincial Party Committee, and Hao Peng, the Party Secretary of Liaoning Province, also visited South Korea in June and April, respectively.

In this vein, South Korea anticipates a separate meeting between Cho and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum Foreign Ministers' Meeting this week in Vientiane, Laos, a diplomatic source confirmed to The Korea Herald on condition of anonymity.