South Korea, China to hold high-level meeting to discuss North Korea, supply chain issues

South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin is expected to hold a high-level meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in the upcoming week to discuss issues related to the supply chain as well as the growing threats in the region by North Korea. According to the Yonhap news agency, the South Korean Foreign Minister will embark on August 8, for his three-day visit to China's eastern city of Qingdao. The meeting between Jin and Yi comes as South Korea and China mark the 30th anniversary of the start of their bilateral diplomatic relations on August 24. 

Speaking to reporters at Incheon International Airport in Seoul, South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin stated that the two sides are expected to evaluate their relationship's growth over the past three decades and talk about potential directions for development. He also mentioned the need to improve "strategic communication" for a solution to the North Korean nuclear threat and the integrity of global supply chains in the context of economic security as agenda items during his forthcoming meeting with the Chinese Foreign Minister. Last month on July 22, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol once again claimed that North Korea is ready to conduct a nuclear test at any time. 

Park attends ASEAN meeting in Cambodia

Park's statements came after he returned from Cambodia where he attended the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers' meeting in Phnom Penh. Meanwhile, the minister further stated that he used the sessions in the Cambodian capital to describe the South Korean government's proactive attempts to forge stronger connections with ASEAN. Notably, he participated in the  ASEAN-South Korea Ministerial Meeting in Phnom Penh on Thursday, August 4. "We have agreed to expand cooperation in various sectors, including trade, diplomacy, security, development cooperation and cultural exchanges," Park stated, as per Yonhap. 

China-South Korea relations

The diplomatic ties between China and South Korea were officially established in 1986, making the Korean country the last nation to establish relations with Beijing. Both sides have worked hard in recent years to strengthen their strategic and cooperative partnership in many fields and to foster a high-level relationship. The most significant aspects in bolstering the cooperative relationship between two neighbouring countries have been trade, tourism, and multiculturalism in particular. However, cultural, political, and historical disputes have also played their roles in the relations between two Asian countries. 

(Image: AP)