Wang Yi meets Cho Hyun, pledges constructive role on Korean Peninsula stability

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with his South Korean counterpart Cho Hyun in Seoul on August 19, pledging that China will continue to play a constructive role in promoting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. The meeting occurred amid a significant diplomatic shift, with the United States signaling renewed engagement with North Korea and South Korea proposing multilateral talks to formally end the Korean War.

Wang described South Korea as China's "most important neighboring country" and stated that Beijing will "make the efforts that we should make" to support stability. He expressed hope that the two Koreas would "gradually move toward peace and coexistence." However, Wang struck a more cautious tone regarding potential US-North Korea diplomacy, telling reporters that facilitating a summit between Washington and Pyongyang is "a matter for North Korea and the United States to decide." He emphasized that "in particular, the US should change the hostile policy toward North Korea that it has maintained for a long time."

The talks come just days after South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, in his Liberation Day address on August 15, called for discussions among...