China's top envoy says Seoul-Beijing ties at critical point of 'either advancing or regressing'
Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Dai Bing speaks during a press briefing to local journalists at the Embassy of China in Seoul, Feb. 25. Courtesy of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Republic of Korea
South Korea's ties with China are at a critical juncture of "either advancing or retreating," China's top envoy to South Korea said Wednesday, ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to the South for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.
Dai Bing made the remarks in a contributory piece to the Chinese Communist Party's flagship paper, the People's Daily, as the Chinese leader is slated to make a three-day state visit Thursday to attend the gathering in the southeastern city of Gyeongju.
Xi is expected to meet with President Lee Jae Myung on the sidelines of the APEC summit Saturday. It will mark his first visit to South Korea in 11 years.
"South Korea-China relations have entered a critical period of either advancing or regressing," he said, noting that international relations have become increasingly entangled and have faced once-in-a-century changes in just a few years.
The Chinese ambassador then emphasized the need to "reflect on and uphold the spirit" that both countries shared when their diplomatic ties were established and to work together to further advance their bilateral relations.
He also suggested South Korea and China bolster cooperation in the areas of artificial intelligence, green low-carbon transition and advanced manufacturing as leading global powerhouses in manufacturing and technology.