Vice FMs of S. Korea, China hold 1st strategic talks in over 2 yrs

Vice foreign ministers of South Korea and China held their first high-level strategic talks in more than two years on Wednesday amid deepening cooperation between North Korea and Russia. First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun and his Chinese counterpart, Ma Zhaoxu, held the meeting in Seoul to discuss bilateral cooperation on key regional and global issues, according to Seoul's foreign ministry. It marked the first such high-level talks since December 2021, when the two countries held a vice foreign ministerial meeting via video link. The talks come amid growing military cooperation between North Korea and Russia following Russian President Vladimir Putin's trip to Pyongyang last month for summit talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The ministry said discussions are expected to cover a wide range of issues, including peace efforts on the Korean Peninsula, regional and global security situations, and ways to enhance bilateral relations. A banquet dinner will follow, the ministry said. The talk s follow the agreement to reactivate diplomatic and security communication channels between the two countries after President Yoon Suk Yeol had a one-on-one meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang on the sidelines of the trilateral summit with Japan in May. The latest move is seen as a reflection of China's intention to maintain strategic cooperation with South Korea, especially in light of North Korea and Russia's increasing military alliance and comprehensive cooperation. Source: Yonhap News Agency