South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun says on Wednesday he will be discussing Chinese President Xi Jinping’s attendance at the summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum hosted by Korea in late October during his visit to Beijing.
Speaking ahead of his departure for a two-day trip to China, Cho said he would be hearing from Chinese officials about a recent visit to Beijing by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to attend a World War Two anniversary event.
“China is an important neighbour of ours with the two countries being strategic partners,” Cho told reporters, adding that he would be discussing developing cooperation further with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
“I understand President Xi Jinping is going to visit South Korea for the APEC meeting,” Cho said. “We will also be discussing details about that.”
Cho said it was important as neighbours not to shy away from difficult conversations on “undesirable issues.”
South Korea has invited Xi and U.S. President Donald Trump to the APEC summit that starts on October 31st in the city of Gyeongju.
“China is a very important country for regional peace and prosperity and for peace on the Korean Peninsula” and its role in South Korea’s long-term security goals requires Seoul to ensure its ties with Beijing are strong even though the two do not share identical values, he told reporters.
Reuters/Hauwa M.