Global Times: Xi calls on China, S.Korea to strengthen strategic communication, consolidate foundation of mutual trust

BEIJING, Nov. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday said that China stands ready to work with South Korea to ensure the steady and long-term development of their strategic cooperative partnership, according to Xinhua News Agency.

Xi said during his talks with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung that China and South Korea are important neighbors that cannot be moved away and cooperation partners that cannot be separated.

China values its relations with the South Korea and maintains consistency and stability in its policy toward the country, he said, according to Xinhua.

China is ready to enhance communication with South Korea, deepen cooperation, expand common interests, and tackle challenges together, ensuring that the China-South Korea strategic cooperative partnership contributes more positive energy to regional peace and development, Xi said.

Four-point proposal

Xi put forward a four-point proposal for opening up new prospects for China-South Korea relations, Xinhua reported.

First, Xi urged both sides to enhance strategic communication and consolidate the foundation of mutual trust.

Noting that the two sides should view the bilateral relations from a long-term perspective, Xi called on China and South Korea to pursue common development through mutual respect, and achieve win-win cooperation by seeking common ground while shelving differences.

The two countries should respect each other's social systems and development paths, accommodate each other's core interests and major concerns, and properly manage differences and disagreements through friendly consultations, he added.

Xi proposed making full use of the dialogue channels and exchange mechanisms between the two countries to pool strength for the development of bilateral relations.

Second, Xi urged both sides to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and tighten the bond of interests.

Noting that to help one's neighbor succeed is to help oneself, Xi said that China is willing to work with South Korea based on the principle of mutual benefit and win-win results, accelerate the second phase of negotiations on the China-South Korea free trade agreement, and tap the cooperation potential in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, biopharmaceuticals, green industries and the silver economy, so as to upgrade the quality of their economic and trade cooperation.

Both sides attach great importance to combating online gambling and telecom fraud, the Chinese president said, adding that China and South Korea can carry out cooperation at the bilateral and regional levels to better safeguard the safety of the two peoples and their properties.

Third, Xi called on two countries to strengthen the friendship between the two peoples and bring their hearts closer together.

China and South Korea should better communicate with the media and the general public, send more positive messages, and check tendencies that may harm the relationship, he said, adding that the two countries should conduct healthy and beneficial cultural and people-to-people exchanges to deepen mutual understanding and consolidate the popular foundation of bilateral relations.

They should facilitate cross-border travel, and encourage more exchanges among the youth, media and think tanks as well as at the local level, so as to foster mutual affinity between their peoples and create a favorable atmosphere for the sound and stable development of bilateral relations, Xi added.

Fourth, Xi urged the two countries to strengthen multilateral cooperation and jointly promote peace and development.

Xi said that China congratulates South Korea on successfully hosting the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, adding that as China takes over as APEC host, it is willing to work with member economies to advance the Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific and regional economic integration, so as to build together an Asia-Pacific community.

Warm welcome

Lee extended a warm welcome to President Xi on his state visit to South Korea after an interval of 11 years, noting that the visit carries great significance for South Korea-China relationship, Xinhua reported.

Noting South Korea and China are not only neighbors but also inseparable partners, Lee said South Korea attaches great importance to its relations with China and stands ready to work with the Chinese side to further advance their friendly and cooperative ties. He stressed the need for closer high-level exchanges, stronger inter-party and local-level interactions, and proper handling of differences.

Lee also noted that South Korea is ready to step up people-to-people exchanges with China to improve public sentiment between the two nations.

Lee said South Korea supports China's hosting of the 2026 APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, and is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with China on regional and international affairs, so as to jointly promote regional and global peace and development.

Lee on Saturday presented a Go table and lacquerware inlaid with mother-of-pearl to Xi, according to the Korea Herald.

Lee's office said Saturday that the gift symbolizes South Korea's hope for closer relations with China, as players from both countries together lead the professional Go scene.

During a press conference in response to a query from China Media Group (CMG) following the 32nd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting on Saturday, Lee said that South Korea is committed to strengthening cooperation with China in multiple areas.

He noted that the two countries are geographically close and economically interdependent, making economic cooperation between the two countries critically important, Lee noted, adding that both governments are committed to improving people's livelihoods and building a more promising future for their nations.

Wide coverage

President Xi's state visit also drew wide attention among South Korean media. Major local outlets including Yonhap, Korea Times, KBS World and the Korea Herald, all covered the meeting, saying that the meeting signaled enhanced cooperation between the two countries. When covering the meeting, the Korea Times published an article titled "Seoul, Beijing agree to strengthen reciprocal cooperation, expand shared interests."

The KBS World highlighted that this was "the first summit" between the two leaders, said the "discussions focused on regional peace, economic cooperation and the advancement of bilateral ties."

The Chosun Daily paid special attention to MOUs signed by two countries, especially Currency Swap Agreement.

Speaking at a briefing held that evening at the International Media Center following the summit, South Korean National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said that the summit "achieved the restoration of South Korea-China relations in a comprehensive manner through diplomacy toward China based on the national interest and pragmatism of the Lee Jae-myung administration."

Wi said"it is true that South Korea-China relations have experienced ups and downs," but added that "both sides reaffirmed that the spirit of mutually beneficial cooperation — which supported the economic growth of both nations and was rooted in the shared historical experience of hardship during the period of national loss — remains unchanged."

Rebuilding trust

Xi's visit to South Korea can be described as "a journey to clear the clouds and see the sun," said Hwang Jae-ho, director of the Institute for Global Strategy and Cooperation and a professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, in an interview with the Global Times on Saturday.

He explained that in recent years, China-South Korea relations have experienced ups and downs. Xi's visit, he said, helped rebuild confidence between the two countries and is therefore seen as one of the most significant achievements of this visit.

While economic and people-to-people exchanges are important, the restoration of political trust and the revitalization of the strategic partnership stand out as one of the most defining outcomes of this state visit, Hwang noted.

When commenting on the tangible results reached by two leaders during the state visit, Xiang Haoyu, a distinguished research fellow at the Department for Asia-Pacific Studies of the China Institute of International Studies said that this visit helps create a more stable and predictable environment for bilateral economic cooperation.

The series of agreements reached during the talks cover areas where the two sides share common interests and priorities. If implemented smoothly, they are expected to generate new growth engines and highlight emerging areas of cooperation, ultimately enabling both countries to address domestic and external challenges together, said Xiang.

Current China-South Korea relations combine both competition and cooperation and require careful management, Woo Su-keun, head of the Institute of East Asian Studies of Korea and president of the Korea-China Global Association, told the Global Times during a previous interview. He noted in the areas of security and strategy, the two countries practice cautious control, while in the fields of economy and culture, there exists a strong atmosphere of cooperation.

In short, it is a pragmatic and balanced relationship — maintaining vigilance in political and security matters while pursuing mutual benefit and win-win outcomes in other areas, said Woo.

SOURCE Global Times