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FM Cho to visit Beijing for talks with Wang Yi

Published: 14 Sep. 2025, 20:26

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun speaks during a press conference at Incheon International Airport on Sept. 12. [NEWS1]

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun is expected to visit China this week for talks with his counterpart, Wang Yi, diplomatic sources said Sunday.

Cho is likely to raise Chinese President Xi Jinping's potential visit to South Korea for next month's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. Xi is widely expected to attend the summit, though China has yet to confirm his participation.

Cho is also expected to reaffirm South Korea and China's shared goal of a denuclearized Korean Peninsula and ask for China's constructive role amid concerns that Beijing may be softening its stance of nonacceptance of North Korea's nuclear program.

Earlier this month, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held talks with Xi in their first meeting in more than six years. The two leaders made no public mention of denuclearization, in contrast to their four summits in 2018-19.

Kim also joined Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin at a large military parade in Beijing earlier this month to mark China's victory over Japan in World War II, the first such gathering in 66 years.

Their show of unity raised concerns that it could complicate South Korea's efforts to ease inter-Korean tensions while balancing relations with Beijing amid escalating U.S.-China rivalry.

The two sides could also discuss other outstanding bilateral issues, including Chinese steel structures in the overlapping maritime zone in the Yellow Sea.

Cho is expected to depart for Beijing around Wednesday, in what would be his first visit to China since taking office in July.

Yonhap