Chinese FM Wang likely to visit S. Korea next month for talks on N. Korea, bilateral issues

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, left, shakes hands with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, Wednesday. Joint Press Corps

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is expected to visit South Korea next month to discuss ways to advance bilateral ties and address issues related to North Korea, diplomatic sources said Wednesday.

South Korea and China have continued consultations over Wang's trip and have recently reached a broad understanding on a two-day visit beginning Aug. 19, according to the sources.

During his visit, Wang is expected to hold talks with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun to exchange views on bilateral relations, North Korea-China ties and other issues concerning the Korean Peninsula.

If realized, the trip would mark the first visit by a Chinese high-level official to South Korea since Lee's state visit to China in January and his summit meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

In January, Cho said that Seoul and Beijing were pushing to hold a meeting between their foreign ministers in the first quarter of this year, but the plan did not materialize.

The delay has fueled speculation that China may be focusing on restoring its influence over North Korea amid its strategic rivalry with the United States. Wang visited North Korea in April, followed by Xi's trip to Pyongyang last month.

During the trip, the Seoul government is expected to call on China to play a constructive role in helping stabilize the situation on the Korean Peninsula and advance efforts toward North Korea's denuclearization through dialogue and cooperation.

Also on the table would be the issue of Taiwan, which was raised during a bilateral director general-level consultation last month. Seoul has reaffirmed its position of respecting the "one China" principle as stated in the 1992 joint communique on the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.