China, South Korea agree to expand cooperation, promote trade

South Korean President Moon Jae-in (R) meets with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Seoul, South Korea, Dec. 5, 2019. [Photo by Wang Jingqiang/Xinhua]

SEOUL, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- China and South Korea on Thursday pledged to further boost bilateral cooperation and speed up the building of the China-Japan-South Korea free trade area.

The pledges were made during a meeting between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

During the meeting, Moon said close dialogue and cooperation between South Korea and China is an important force to maintain peace and security in Northeast Asia and promote regional economic development.

Moon said South Korea is willing to actively seek convergence between its own development strategies and the Belt and Road Initiative, explore third-party cooperation and further enhance people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

South Korea supports the advancement of Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) as scheduled and is ready to accelerate building the South Korea-China-Japan free trade area, Moon said.

"I am looking forward to attending the eighth South Korea-China-Japan leaders' meeting in China at the end of this month and will work closely with the Chinese side to ensure the success of the meeting," Moon said.

He said that South Korea appreciates the important and constructive role of China in pushing forward the peace process of the Korean Peninsula and will work with all parties to promote the peace process on the peninsula.

Wang, for his part, said the China-South Korea relations have maintained a good momentum under the guidance of the heads of state of the two countries. China is willing to strengthen the docking of the Belt and Road Initiative with South Korea's development strategies so as to further expand bilateral cooperation, he said.

China will properly handle and actively promote the bilateral relations, accelerate the negotiations at the second phase of the China-South Korea free trade agreement, ensure the RCEP will be signed next year, and speed up the building of the China-Japan-South Korea free trade area, he said.

During the meeting, Wang also introduced China's principles and stances on the Korean Peninsula issue.