China's Xi To Visit S.Korea When Conditions Are Ripe - Foreign Minister

Umer Jamshaid Published November 26, 2020 | 08:04 PM

Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit South Korea as soon as conditions for the visit are met, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Thursday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th November, 2020) Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit South Korea as soon as conditions for the visit are met, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Thursday.

Earlier in the day, Wang delivered Xi's "special verbal message" to South Korean President Moon Jae-in, at the South Korean presidential office in Seoul. The foreign minister visited South Korea as the two countries discuss Chinese president's visit to Seoul, which was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I believe that (Xi's) visit will be realized as soon as the conditions are ready," Wang said after his meeting with South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Kyung-wha, as quoted by the Korea Herald Newspaper.

When asked about the conditions for the Chinese president's visit, the minister said the situation with the COVID-19 pandemic must be brought under complete control, stressing that both sides must focus on containing the spread of the disease, according to the Korea Herald Newspaper.

Wang stressed the importance of South Korea-China relations, saying there was a need to continue with the second stage of the China-Korea free trade deal.

The minister added that South Korea and China must enhance cooperation in economy, regional security, multilateralism and free trade.

The two countries are trying to repair their relations after bilateral tensions caused by the decision of former South Korean President Park Geun-hye to allow the United States to deploy its anti-missile system on South Korean soil. China said it could be used by the US for espionage and responded by sanctioning a boycott on South Korean businesses until late 2017.