Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul pledged to work with China to realize Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation(APEC) summit, set to be held in Gyeongju later this year.

During bilateral talks in Tokyo on Friday with Wang Yi, foreign minister and director of the Chinese Communist Party’s Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, Cho said he hopes to actively seek projects with Beijing that involve substantive, reciprocal cooperation.

Wang, for his part, referred to the two countries as inseparable neighbors and partners, adding that the two sides should increase exchanges and become closer.

The Chinese minister said Seoul and Beijing can each make important contributions in achieving peace and stability in the region and around the world.

There is speculation the two ministers discussed Xi’s presence at the APEC summit and other matters concerning bilateral cooperation.

They are likely to have discussed ways to accelerate people-to-people exchanges, especially after Beijing exempted South Korean travelers from visa requirements for short-term visits starting in November and Seoul announced plans to grant visa-free entry to Chinese travelers on group tours in the third quarter.