South Korea and China are arranging summit talks for early next year that will include discussions on establishing peace in Northeast Asia, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said Monday.

In an interview with Yonhap News TV, Cho said the two sides are in consultations with China, when asked whether President Lee Jae Myung and Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold a summit next year.

He said a date for the planned summit will be announced soon.

Cho explained that it is important to seek China’s cooperation so that North Korea can come to the dialogue table, adding that the two leaders will also discuss China’s steel structures in the Yellow Sea.

Regarding First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo’s visit to China last week for strategic talks, Cho said the government pointed out related issues and discussed cooperation projects with North Korea that were proposed by the Ministry of Unification.

Minister Cho said discussions were also being held with Japan to arrange for President Lee to visit early in the new year.

On the possibility of realizing North Korea-U.S. dialogue, Cho said he thinks there will be an opportunity when U.S. President Donald Trump next visits China.

Cho said Seoul is also in close consultations with Washington regarding follow-ups to Lee and Trump’s summit in October, including the nuclear-powered submarine issue, expansion of the defense budget and shipbuilding.