Foreign minister Cho Tae-yul met with Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Dai Bing on Thursday and they exchanged views on Seoul-Beijing relations and Korean Peninsula issues. 

Cho said Seoul-Beijing ties have continually advanced and that he hopes the two countries will continue to achieve substantial results through close cooperation this year. 

He also expressed hope that under Dai’s leadership, the Chinese embassy will play a significant role in various fields as a bridge between the two countries. 

In particular, the minister stressed the need for Seoul and Beijing to engage in close communication to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation(APEC) summit. 

South Korea is set to host the APEC summit this year, and China will host it next year.

In response, Dai vowed his best efforts to ensure the two countries continue to advance ties in a wide array of areas, including preparations for the APEC summit.