GYEONGJU, the Republic of Korea – Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday said that China stands ready to work with the Republic of Korea to ensure the steady and long-term development of their strategic cooperative partnership.

During his talks with ROK President Lee Jae-myung, Xi said China and the ROK are important neighbors that cannot be moved away and cooperation partners that cannot be separated.

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations 33 years ago, the two countries have transcended differences in social systems and ideologies, actively advanced exchanges and cooperation across the board, and achieved mutual success and common prosperity, he said.

Facts have proven that promoting the sound and steady development of China-ROK relations has always been the right choice that serves the fundamental interests of the two peoples and meets the trend of the times, said the Chinese leader.

China values its relations with the ROK and maintains consistency and stability in its policy toward the country, he said.

RELATED ARTICLES

• Xi urges Asia-Pacific economies to enhance cooperation
• Xi says investing in China means investing in future
• Xi urges Asia-Pacific to bolster universally beneficial development
• Trip to give momentum to cooperation
• Xi Jinping — proponent of an interconnected Asia-Pacific

China is ready to enhance communication with the ROK, deepen cooperation, expand common interests, and tackle challenges together, ensuring that the China-ROK strategic cooperative partnership contributes more positive energy to regional peace and development, Xi said.

Xi put forward a four-point proposal for opening up new prospects for the bilateral relations.

In his first proposal, Xi urged both sides to enhance strategic communication and consolidate the foundation of mutual trust.

Noting that the two sides should view the bilateral relations from a long-term perspective, Xi called on China and the ROK to pursue common development through mutual respect, and achieve win-win cooperation by seeking common ground while shelving differences.

The two countries should respect each other's social systems and development paths, accommodate each other's core interests and major concerns, and properly manage differences and disagreements through friendly consultations, he added.

He proposed making full use of the dialogue channels and exchange mechanisms between the two countries to pool strength for the development of bilateral relations.

Xi urged both sides to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and tighten the bond of interests.

Noting that to help one's neighbor succeed is to help oneself, Xi said that China is willing to work with the ROK based on the principle of mutual benefit and win-win results, accelerate the second phase of negotiations on the China-ROK free trade agreement, and tap the cooperation potential in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, biopharmaceuticals, green industries and the silver economy, so as to upgrade the quality of their economic and trade cooperation.

Both sides attach great importance to combating online gambling and telecom fraud, the Chinese president said, adding that China and the ROK can carry out cooperation at the bilateral and regional levels to better safeguard the safety of the two peoples and their properties.

Third, Xi called on the two countries to strengthen the friendship between the two peoples and bring their hearts closer together.

China and the ROK should better communicate with the media and the general public, send more positive messages, and check tendencies that may harm the relationship, he said, adding that the two countries should conduct healthy and beneficial cultural and people-to-people exchanges to deepen mutual understanding and consolidate the popular foundation of bilateral relations.

They should facilitate cross-border travel, and encourage more exchanges among the youth, media and think tanks as well as at the local level, so as to foster mutual affinity between their peoples and create a favorable atmosphere for the sound and stable development of bilateral relations, Xi added.

In his fourth proposal, Xi urged the two countries to strengthen multilateral cooperation and jointly promote peace and development.

China congratulates the ROK on successfully hosting the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, he said, adding that as China takes over as APEC host, it is willing to work with member economies to advance the Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific and regional economic integration, so as to build together an Asia-Pacific community.

The two countries should work together to practice true multilateralism, safeguard the multilateral trading system, and make global governance more just and equitable, he said.

Xi stressed that the fourth plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee has reviewed and adopted the Recommendations for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan.

Noting that China's economy has a solid foundation, advantages in many areas, strong resilience and great potential, with conditions and underlying trend supporting its long-term growth unchanged, Xi said China will resolutely expand high-level opening up and share development opportunities with all countries of the world.