KB News Desk
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pledged Wednesday that Beijing would continue to play a “constructive role” in promoting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, while taking a cautious stance on mediating renewed US-North Korea dialogue and calling on Washington to change what he described as its longstanding “hostile policy” toward Pyongyang.
Wang made the remarks during the first day of a two-day visit to Seoul, where he held talks with Foreign Minister Cho Hyun amid renewed diplomatic maneuvering surrounding North Korea following President Lee Jae Myung’s proposal for multiparty discussions aimed at formally ending the 1950-53 Korean War.
“As the Korean Peninsula’s most important neighboring country, China will continue to play a constructive role for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula,” Wang said during his meeting with Cho. “We will make the efforts that we should make.”
“We also hope that South Korea and North Korea will gradually move toward peace and coexistence, and we sincerely wish for lasting stability and development on the Korean Peninsula,” he added.
Wang struck a more cautious tone when asked after the meeting whether Beijing could help facilitate a potential summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
“That is a matter for North Korea and the United States to decide,” Wang told reporters. “In particular, the US should change the hostile policy toward North Korea that it has maintained for a long time.”
The remarks suggest that Beijing remains reluctant to cast itself as a direct intermediary between Washington and Pyongyang, while reiterating its long-standing view that the US should take steps to address its North Korea security concerns.
The comments come amid growing speculation over a possible revival of Trump-Kim diplomacy, after Trump recently signaled his desire to reengage with Kim and ordered a substantial reduction in South Korea-US combined military exercises.
Lee, meanwhile, used his Liberation Day address Saturday to call for discussions among the concerned parties to formally end the Korean War and replace what he described as the peninsula’s “unstable armistice system” with a peace regime.
The 1950-53 war ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty, leaving the two Koreas technically at war.
Opening Wednesday’s talks, Cho sought Beijing’s cooperation in advancing Seoul’s broader peace initiative.
“I hope that progress in restoring bilateral relations will contribute to peace and stability in the region, including on the Korean Peninsula,” Cho said.
“As President Lee Jae Myung presented a blueprint for peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula in his recent Liberation Day address, the South Korean government will continue efforts to achieve denuclearization and peace on the Korean Peninsula,” he added.
Cho and Wang exchanged in-depth views on bilateral relations, the Korean Peninsula and regional and international affairs, according to Seoul’s Foreign Ministry. The meeting, followed by an official dinner, marked their first talks in 11 months after they met in Beijing in September last year.
Wang’s visit is drawing particular attention because of China’s potential role in Lee’s proposed multiparty discussions. China was a signatory to the 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement and remains North Korea’s most important economic partner and a major political ally.
North Korea has remained largely unresponsive to Seoul’s overtures since Lee took office in June 2025, while rejecting denuclearization as a subject for negotiation.
Wang also offered an upbeat assessment of South Korea-China relations following his talks with Cho.
“Since the launch of the Lee Jae Myung administration, relations have entered a trajectory of improvement and development,” Wang told reporters. “This serves the interests of both countries and accords with the wishes of their peoples.”
“China is the world’s largest market today, and South Korea is right next door,” he added. “Strengthening South Korea-China cooperation is also conducive to South Korea’s development.”
Asked about perceptions in Washington that the Lee administration is leaning toward China, Wang defended Seoul’s approach to Beijing.
“The Lee Jae Myung administration is a government that safeguards South Korea’s interests, and maintaining friendly cooperation with China serves South Korea’s national interests,” he said.
Seoul has framed Wang’s trip as an opportunity to build on the recent improvement in bilateral relations and prepare for further high-level exchanges.
Wang is scheduled to meet Lee at Cheong Wa Dae on Thursday, with discussions expected to cover the future direction of South Korea-China relations and the regional security situation.
He will also hold separate talks and a luncheon with National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac on Thursday to discuss bilateral relations, the Korean Peninsula and other regional and international issues.
The trip marks Wang’s first visit to South Korea since September 2021.
