FM CHO VOICES HOPE FOR CHINA'S XI TO ATTEND APEC SUMMIT

TOKYO/SEOUL, March 21 (Bernama-Yonhap) -- Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul voiced expectations on Friday for a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to South Korea for the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit later this year, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Cho made the remark during his bilateral talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Tokyo, held a day before the planned trilateral meeting of foreign ministers involving Japan. Cho arrived in Tokyo earlier in the day.

"We will work together to ensure that President Xi Jinping's visit to Korea on the occasion of the APEC summit in Gyeongju serves as a new turning point in bilateral relations," Cho said at the start of the talks.

"We hope to promote mutually beneficial and practical cooperation projects that will contribute to improving the livelihoods of people in both countries when President Xi pays a visit," he said.

Calling China and South Korea "inseparable neighbours," Wang stressed the need for maintaining "frequent exchanges" to further advance the bilateral ties.

"China and South Korea can each make significant contributions to the peace and stability of our region and the world," Wang said.

Friday's talks came as the two Asian neighbours are seeking to manage and improve their bilateral ties as key economic and regional partners despite differences in the security realm.

The ministers were expected to discuss ways the two countries can cooperate regarding the upcoming APEC summit Seoul is due to host between late October and early November. China is the host for the multilateral gathering next year.

They were also likely to discuss efforts to facilitate people-to-people exchanges, following Beijing's announcement in November last year to grant a visa waiver for short-term South Korean travellers.

On Thursday, South Korea said it will introduce a temporary visa waiver for Chinese group travellers in the third quarter, largely seen as a reciprocal measure to China's decision.

The talks could also include discussions on a recent standoff in the Yellow Sea after Chinese authorities blocked Seoul's attempt to investigate a steel structure China built in the overlapping waters.

They may also exchange views on China's possible lifting of restrictions on South Korean cultural content, such as K-pop and drama series, which began after Seoul's deployment of the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) missile defence system in 2016.

Beijing has never acknowledged the imposition officially, but expectations have grown over a possible easing of the measure amid the two countries' efforts to improve the relationship.

Cho and Wang last held talks on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September last year.

-- BERNAMA-YONHAP