On June 23, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Dalian, Liaoning Province, to discuss mutual interests in areas such as economy, trade, environment, and culture.
During the meeting at the Bangchui Island Hotel, Kim emphasized, "South Korea and China should elevate our exchanges in political, economic, cultural, and youth sectors."
This meeting marked the first South Korea-China prime ministerial talks in seven years, following discussions between former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon and Premier Li Keqiang in 2019.
Kim noted, "Today's meeting serves as a stepping stone for continued political interactions between our two nations, following the leaders' meeting. I believe this will strengthen our strategic cooperative partnership at a new level."
Kim, who led preparations for last year's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, expressed hope for this year's APEC event in Shenzhen, stating, "I expect it to be well-prepared and become a model for the world."
Premier Li, in his opening remarks, stated, "China is willing to enhance trust with South Korea and expand the breadth and depth of our cooperation in accordance with the strategic guidance of our leaders."
He added, "Through this, we aim to positively and stably develop the China-South Korea strategic cooperative partnership and achieve regional prosperity and stability."
Attending the meeting from the South Korean side were First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Yoon-joo, Director of Northeast and Central Asian Affairs Nam Jin, South Korean Ambassador to China Noh Jae-heon, and Chief Diplomatic Secretary to the Prime Minister Kwon Won-jik. From the Chinese side, attendees included Deputy Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu, Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Dai Bing, Minister of Industry and Information Technology Jin Zhuanglong, and Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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