Xi invites Yoon to visit China at convenient time

Chinese President Xi Jinping invited President Yoon Suk-yeol to visit China at a mutually convenient time, a Chinese official said Tuesday.

Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan extended the invitation during a meeting with Yoon after attending Yoon's inauguration ceremony earlier in the day.

"President Xi Jinping welcomes and invites the president to visit China at a mutually convenient time," he said through an interpreter.

"President Xi Jinping told me specially to attend the president's inauguration ceremony on his behalf and to wish that your country develop, be peaceful and your people be comfortable under your leadership," he added.

Yoon welcomed the Chinese delegation's visit to Seoul to attend his inauguration and expressed his thanks for Xi's letter and phone call following his election victory.

Wang handed Yoon another letter from Xi and noted that the two leaders spoke by phone again Tuesday.

Wang, known as one of Xi's closest aides, is the highest-ranking Chinese official ever to attend a South Korean president's inauguration ceremony.

He said China intends to work together with South Korea to advance their strategic cooperative partnership and made five proposals for developing bilateral ties.

The first, he said, is to strengthen strategic communication and maintain smooth communication, followed by deepening practical cooperation in industrial supply chains and trade, and promoting friendship between their peoples.

The other proposals are to increase multilateral coordination and "to strengthen cooperation with us on Korean Peninsula issues while appropriately handling sensitive issues," he added.

"China sincerely supports efforts by South and North Korea to improve their relations and seek reconciliation and cooperation, and aims to strengthen communication to pursue denuclearization and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula," Wang said. (Yonhap)