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South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin (left) shakes hands with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi ahead of their talks in Qingdao, China, on Aug. 9. (courtesy MOFA)

South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin is currently carrying out his first official visit to China ahead of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries on Aug. 24. Park met with his counterpart, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, on Tuesday in Qingdao, Shandong Province.

To mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, Park stressed that South Korea and China should form a “cooperative relationship that pursues common interests based on mutual respect.”

Wang Yi reportedly noted that for the next 30 years of South Korea-China relations, both sides should “maintain independence and self-reliance,” and “avoid external obstacles and influences,” while taking into consideration the concerns held by their counterpart.

During subsequent talks, the two ministers appear to have focused on diplomatic and security issues, including the current situation on the Korean Peninsula centered around the North Korean nuclear issue, the USFK’s deployment of the THAAD anti-missile system, and “Chip 4” — a US-led semiconductor supply chain dialogue involving the US, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan.

Regarding Chip 4, an issue that China has been wary of, Park reportedly informed Wang that South Korea has decided to attend the preliminary meeting of the initiative and emphasized that it was “a judgment based on [Korea’s] national interests and is not intended to exclude or target any specific country.”

“Regarding similar issues, going forward our government will be making decisions based on our national interest,” Park said.

In relation to this, Wang shared Beijing’s view, stating at a meeting later that day that the two countries should “maintain stable and smooth production and supply chains, adhere to equality and respect and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs.”

Regarding the situation on the Korean Peninsula, Park stressed that an “unprecedented crisis” has continued due to North Korea’s continuous provocative actions of late and requested for China to play an active role in order for North Korea to return to dialogue instead of continuing with its provocations.

In response, Wang said China would continue to play a constructive role as much as possible but also emphasized the importance of US-North Korea relations, expressing disappointment at the “passive attitude” of the US concerning North Korea.

Park and Yi also seem to have relatively clearly stated their country’s respective positions regarding the THAAD issue. Both did agree, however, that the issue should not become an obstacle to the further development of South Korea-China relations in the future.

At the expanded meeting that followed, the two sides focused talks on how to further develop bilateral ties on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Korea and China.

The two ministers decided to hold a vice-ministerial level diplomatic and security dialogue in Seoul later this year and came to a strong consensus on the importance of high-level communications, including summit-level diplomacy.

By Jung In-hwan, staff reporter

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