Elevating China-ROK relations a path to mutual prosperity and regional stability

It is usually the Republic of Korea's alliance with the United States or the US-Japan-ROK framework that has triggered the downturns in the relations between China and the ROK. Otherwise, the complementary economic structures of China and the ROK, along with their close cultural bonds, foster a shared pursuit for development that is the endogenous impetus behind the upward trajectory of their relations.

This "fundamental" hallmark of Sino-ROK relations not only stems from their national conditions, development stages and history, but more importantly their tacit consensus on the importance of regional peace and prosperity for their own development.

That has helped the two countries transcend differences in ideology and social systems, and actively advance exchanges and cooperation across various fields over the past 33 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties, contributing to each other's success.

Over those years, China has become the ROK's largest trading partner, largest export market and largest source of imports, and the ROK has become China's second-largest trading partner.

That the two sides should carry forward that positive momentum and make concerted efforts to lift their strategic cooperative partnership to a higher level was the core message of President Xi Jinping's telephone talk with ROK President Lee Jae-myung on Tuesday.

China and the ROK are close neighbors that cannot be moved away from each other. A sound, stable and ever-deepening China-ROK relationship conforms to the trend of the times, serves the fundamental interests of the two peoples, and contributes to regional and global peace, stability, development and prosperity, Xi said.

To further consolidate the foundation of their economic and trade cooperation, the two countries should deepen people-to-people and cultural exchanges to enhance mutual understanding and cement public support.

To that end, the two sides should enhance exchanges at various levels, across various areas and on various multilateral platforms to increase strategic mutual trust, strengthen bilateral cooperation and multilateral coordination to jointly safeguard multilateralism and free trade, and ensure stable and smooth global and regional industry and supply chains.

By stressing that the two neighbors should respect each other's core interests and major concerns and keep bilateral relations on the right track, the Chinese leader sought to remind his ROK counterpart of the necessity of the ROK shunning the zero-sum game of the US. It is noteworthy that the submission of former ROK president Yoon Suk-yeol to Washington's beggar-thy-neighbor policy, that is incompatible with Asian culture and values, contributed to frosty China-ROK ties.

China regards the ROK as a close neighbor and an inseparable cooperative partner that shares with it a common commitment to uphold free trade, economic globalization and multilateralism, which have provided the impetus for the ROK to realize its economic rise and on which the ROK's sustained prosperity hinges.

It is to be hoped that the ROK side will work with China in the same direction, formulate policies and take actions that demonstrate the importance it attaches to China-ROK relations, uphold mutual respect, and stick to the direction of friendship and cooperation. It will only gain from that, so will the whole region.

As well as highlighting the historical ties, economic interdependence, and cultural affinities that underpin the strong relationship between the ROK and China, the ROK president's acknowledgment of China's development achievements and the importance he said that the ROK attaches to relations with China can be taken as a welcome sign of the new ROK government's pragmatism and willingness to foster healthy ties with its neighbor.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the entry into force of the China-ROK Free Trade Agreement. The two countries should speed up the second phase of negotiations on the FTA and strive to reach an agreement at an early date so they can deliver more benefits to the two peoples and bring greater certainty to the region.

The more volatile the regional and world situations become, the more firmly China and the ROK should uphold good-neighborliness and friendship, and strive for mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.