Chinese president holds talks with South Korean, British leaders

By Seda Sevencan

ISTANBUL (AA) - Chinese President Xi Jinping held separate phone calls with newly elected South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday, according to Chinese Foreign Ministry.

In a statement, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said, Xi congratulated Yoon on his election and said “the two countries are inseparable partners of cooperation.”

Xi, according to the statement, said that the development of China-South Korea relations is “in the interests of both countries and the peoples” and has “contributed to peace and development in the region.”

He noted that this year marks the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and said: "The two sides need to take this as an opportunity to further uphold mutual respect, strengthen political trust, and enhance people-to-people friendship, with a view to the steady and sustained growth of bilateral ties."

Yoon, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry statement, emphasized that Korea wants to maintain high-level contacts with China in order to enhance “mutual trust and promote people-to-people friendship.”

In another statement, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that Xi also spoke by phone with the British prime minister.

The statement said that the Chinese leader told Johnson: “over the past half a century, despite some twists and turns, the China-UK relationship has on the whole kept growing.”

"Recognizing the different national conditions of China and the UK and hence different development paths, President Xi pointed out the need for the two sides to take a strategic and long-term perspective, uphold mutual respect, keep an open and inclusive mindset, increase dialogue and exchange, and expand mutually beneficial cooperation," it added.

For his part, Johnson, according to the statement, pointed out that as the two countries are permanent members of the UN Security Council, there are many issues on which London and Beijing have shared interest and can work together.

It said the British prime minister voiced “the UK’s readiness to engage in candid dialogue with China, increase exchanges and cooperation, broaden cooperation on trade and economy, and deepen communication and coordination on climate change, biodiversity and other global and regional issues.”

The two leaders also exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine.

“President Xi expounded on China’s principled position, stressing the need for the international community to make genuine efforts to promote peace talks, create conditions for a political settlement of the Ukraine issue, and facilitate an early return of peace in Ukraine. He expressed China’s readiness to play a continued, constructive role to this end,” the statement said.