National Security Advisor Cho Tae-yong has vowed to build healthy South Korea-China relations based on dignified diplomacy that befits South Korea’s expanded national strength and meets the people’s expectations.

Cho made the remark on Friday in a speech delivered at a joint academic conference in Seoul hosted by the Institute for National Security Strategy, the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, the Korea Institute for National Unification and the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses.

Cho stressed that mutual respect is a must when it comes to relations among countries during the conference that assessed the achievements made over the past year by the Yoon Suk Yeol government in the areas of diplomacy, security and unification.

Cho said the Yoon government is aiming to make South Korea a key player that cooperates with the international community based on principles and reciprocity with a focus on national interests, stressing that the same applies to relations with China.

Cho’s use of the terms “dignified diplomacy” and “mutual respect” in Friday’s speech was seemingly in response to remarks by Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming the previous day about the Yoon government’s foreign affairs policy.

In a meeting with main opposition Democratic Party chair Lee Jae-myung, the Chinese ambassador said the responsibility over strained South Korea-China relations does not lie with Beijing, adding that betting on a U.S. victory over China would be a wrong and regrettable move.