President Lee Jae Myung has vowed to achieve tangible outcomes for the people of both South Korea and China during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to South Korea, the first in eleven years.

Lee made the pledge in a written interview with China’s Xinhua News Agency released on Wednesday, noting that Xi’s visit and first summit with South Korea’s new administration are significant for bilateral relations.

The president said he will work with Xi to promote a partnership between the two nations amid rapidly changing domestic and international circumstances.

He added that he hopes to hold in-depth discussions on collaboration to improve livelihoods, expand consultation channels for economic and trade cooperation and accelerate negotiations on the bilateral trade agreement to include services and investment.

Lee said the two nations should continue to cooperate in industry and supply chains.

He continued that he will work with to strengthen strategic communication with China, based on the consensus that peace and stability are in the common interest of both nations, to achieve denuclearization and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.