Ahead of President Lee Jae Myung’s state visit to China, Beijing has criticized Japan and urged South Korea to uphold the “One China” principle during a phone call between the two countries’ foreign ministers.

According to the foreign ministries of both countries, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun spoke with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday afternoon to discuss the planned state visit and issues of mutual interest.

President Lee is set to make a four-day visit to China, starting Sunday, for a summit with President Xi Jinping in Beijing.

According to the Chinese foreign ministry, Wang said bilateral relations are back on track under the strategic guidance of the two leaders and expressed confidence that Lee’s visit will advance the strategic cooperative partnership.

Noting that 2025 marked the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, when China celebrated its victory over Japanese aggression, Wang reportedly criticized what he called attempts by some Japanese politicians to roll back history and rehabilitate acts of invasion and colonial rule.

Wang expressed hope that South Korea will take a responsible stance toward history, including upholding the One China principle on the Taiwan issue.

According to the Chinese foreign ministry, Cho reaffirmed Seoul’s respect for the One China policy, saying President Lee places great importance on cooperation with China and is firmly committed to advancing the South Korea-China strategic cooperative partnership.