Foreign minister nominee Cho Tae-yul said South Korea’s ties with China are as important as those with the U.S. as he pledged to seek ways to maintain a harmonious relationship with Beijing.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Cho said China is seemingly well aware that it is inevitable for its strategic rivalry with the U.S. to have a range of impacts on ties with Seoul.

The nominee vowed to seek opportunities to further develop the bilateral relationship in an amicable and harmonious manner based on shared interests.

Addressing concerns over the Yoon Suk Yeol administration's policy tilt toward deeper ties with the U.S. and Japan, Cho said it is a part of efforts to strike a balance from the previous administration's disposition in the opposite direction.

He also pledged to pursue a resumption of a trilateral summit between the leaders from Seoul, Tokyo and Beijing after four years.

Assessing that the diplomatic environment to resolve the North's nuclear issue has significantly worsened, Cho said he plans to work closely with the U.S., China, Japan and Russia to open dialogue and negotiation with Pyongyang while focusing on bolstering deterrence.