S. Korea, China deputy FMs agree on need to enhance bilateral ties

South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Choi Young-sam (left) poses for a photo with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong during their meeting at the foreign ministry in Beijing on Tuesday. (Republic of Korea Foreign Ministry)

The deputy foreign ministers of South Korea and China met in Beijing on Tuesday amid mounting tensions between the two countries over the Chinese ambassador to Korea's open criticism of Seoul's foreign policy last month.

South Korea's Deputy Foreign Minister Choi Young-sam and his Chinese counterpart Sun Weidong held an in-person meeting and the two agreed that meticulous efforts are necessary to enhance bilateral relations based on "mutual respect and reciprocity," South Korea's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The meeting was held a week before the ASEAN Forum in Jakarta, Indonesia, which the foreign ministers of both countries are set to attend.

Tensions have been rising between Seoul and Beijing following a remark by Chinese Ambassador Xing Haiming warning South Korea against making "wrong bets" on China losing out to the US in their intensifying rivalry, referring to Seoul's push for closer ties with Washington. South Korea called in Xing to lodge a formal complaint, a move China reciprocated in a tit-for-tat spat.

China continued to criticize South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for his statement in an interview with Reuters in April, where he attributed the rising tensions between Taipei and Beijing to "attempts to change the status quo by force."

But Tuesday's meeting -- which addressed various pending issues including Taiwan -- provided an opportunity to pave the way for de-escalating diplomatic tensions that have accumulated over recent months.

In response to Sun's explanation of China's position on the "One China" policy, Choi reaffirmed that South Korea's stance of respecting one China "has remained unchanged since the establishment of diplomatic relations" in 1992, according to South Korea's Foreign Ministry.

"Both sides also evaluated this consultation as having significant importance," the ministry said. "They have decided to continue promoting various exchanges and cooperation between the diplomatic authorities of both countries, including timely communication."

China's Foreign Ministry also highlighted that both sides had a "candid and in-depth" discussion on bilateral relations in a separate statement. The ministry notably said that Sun and Choi agreed to make joint efforts to promptly address the current difficulties in China-South Korea relations and bring the relationship into a path of sound development.

By Ji Da-gyum(dagyumji@heraldcorp.com)