Senior diplomat discusses bilateral ties, N. Korea with China’s vice FM

Deputy Foreign Minister Chung Byung-won has met with China's Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong and discussed bilateral relations, North Korea and other shared issues, Seoul's foreign ministry said Friday. The meeting took place Thursday as Chung was visiting Beijing this week to attend an event for the launch of a joint public-private forum with China, under the name of the South Korea-China Friendship Forum. Chung and Sun had in-depth discussions on bilateral relations, including high-level exchanges, the latest situation on the Korean Peninsula and other issues of mutual interest, the ministry said in a release. The two sides likely exchanged assessments on North Korea's explosion of inter-Korean roads and its expanding military cooperation with Russia. At the forum's launching ceremony, Chung said the forum will serve as a platform to explore various ways to further enhance the bilateral relationship. Chung also met with Chinese experts from key think tanks for discussions on ways to promote exchange s between the two countries, and regional and global issues, the ministry said. Source: Yonhap News Agency