President Lee Jae-myung spoke over the phone with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday for the first time since taking office last week.

Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung told reporters that Lee and Xi spoke for some 30 minutes, starting at 11:30 a.m.

Kang said Xi congratulated Lee on winning the presidential election and offered to work with the new South Korean government to advance the strategic cooperative ties between the two countries. 

Lee thanked Xi and expressed hope that Seoul and Beijing will engage in exchanges and cooperate in various fields, including economics, security, culture and logistics, based on the spirit of reciprocity and equality. 

Kang said the two leaders shared the view that it is essential to advance bilateral ties so that the two countries can make a meaningful difference in the lives of their citizens.

They also agreed to boost communication as well as people-to-people and cultural exchanges to enhance the sense of friendship between the two peoples while exerting joint efforts to reap tangible results in economic cooperation. 

Kang added that Lee and Xi agreed on the need to work closely for the success of the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation(APEC) Summit, set for October in the southeastern city of Gyeongju.

Kang said that Lee invited Xi to the APEC Summit, expressing his hopes for a closer exchange of views on how to advance bilateral relations.