Seoul: The top diplomats of South Korea and China agreed Monday to work together to make the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit a "new turning point" in bilateral relations, as they held their first phone talks, the foreign ministry said.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun shared the view with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during the 45-minute phone conversation, reaffirming their commitment to advance the bilateral strategic cooperative partnership in a "steady and mature" manner, the ministry said in a release.
"They agreed to work together to ensure that the upcoming APEC summit in Gyeongju serves as a new turning point in bilateral ties and to deliver tangible outcomes in practical cooperation that can be felt by the peoples of both countries," it said.
They also agreed to maintain the positive momentum in bilateral ties through high-level exchanges. The APEC summit is set to take place in the southeastern South Korean city on Oct. 31-Nov. 1. Chinese President Xi Jinping is widely expected to attend the multilateral meeting. China is the host for next year's APEC summit.
Congratulating Cho on his inauguration, Wang expressed a willingness to maintain a close working relationship with him, according to the ministry. Cho, in turn, said he hopes to closely work with Wang to further develop the Seoul-Beijing ties. Cho took office last Monday.
He also extended an invitation for Wang to visit South Korea, and Wang responded that he would visit at a mutually convenient time, according to the ministry.