Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao meets with Ahn Duk-geun, South Korean Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy in Seoul on March 29, 2025. Photo: website of China's Ministry of Commerce

 
Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao met with Ahn Duk-geun, South Korean Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy in Seoul on Saturday. The two sides discussed advancing bilateral trade ties, safeguarding industrial and supply chain stability, and deepening cooperation in regional and multilateral platforms, according to a statement released by China's Ministry of Commerce.

Wang said that China and South Korea are important economic and trade partners, with their industrial and supply chains deeply integrated in fields such as semiconductors. 

The two sides should earnestly implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, accelerate the second-phase negotiations of the China-ROK Free Trade Agreement (FTA), and closer cooperation via mechanisms such as the supply chain hotline and bilateral export control dialogue to ensure stable, long-term trade relations, Wang said. 

Wang stressed that both China and South Korea benefit from and support free trade and multilateralism. He urged stronger cooperation within regional and multilateral frameworks such as the World Trade Organization, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement, and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, promote the resumption of the China-Japan-ROK FTA negotiation as soon as possible, jointly safeguarding the multilateral trading system, and promoting regional economic integration. 

Ahn Duk-geun said that China is a vital trade partner for South Korea, and close cooperation between the two has helped keep regional, and global supply chains running smoothly.

South Korea is willing to further deepen economic and trade relations with China, maintain the stability of bilateral industrial and supply chains, speed up phase-two China-ROK FTA negotiations, and strengthen regional and multilateral cooperation, he added.

Global Times