China's Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong attended a reception hosted by the South Korean Embassy in Beijing on November 7, 2025, to mark South Korea's National Foundation Day and Armed Forces Day, and exchanged views on China-South Korea relations with South Korean Ambassador to China Noh Jae-heon. Photo: Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs

China's Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong attended a reception hosted by the South Korean Embassy in Beijing to mark South Korea's National Foundation Day and Armed Forces Day, and exchanged views on China-South Korea relations with South Korean Ambassador to China Noh Jae-heon, according to Chinese Foreign Ministry (FM).

Sun Weidong extended holiday greetings to the South Korean side and noted that Chinese President Xi Jinping made a successful state visit to South Korea and reached important consensus with President Lee Jae‑myung on advancing bilateral relations. China stands ready to work together with South Korea, guided by the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, to ensure the China-South Korea strategic cooperative partnership develop steadily and sustainably, to bring more tangible benefits to the peoples of both countries, and to contribute more positive energy to regional peace, development and prosperity, according to Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Ambassador Noh echoed this view, saying that the Chinese leader's visit carried major significance for the future of bilateral relations. Noh expressed South Korea's readiness to work with China to implement the consensus reached between the two leaders and to promote the steady and sound growth of bilateral relations.

Speaking at the Thursday reception, Noh described the two countries as "neighbors who have maintained exchanges and cooperation throughout their long history, and partners who must open the future together," according to South Korean media Yonhap. He noted that although bilateral ties had experienced some stagnation, they have regained new momentum since the inauguration of South Korea's new government in June.

He pointed out that since August, a series of high-level visits - including those by a South Korean presidential envoy, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik, and Foreign Minister Cho Hyun - have taken place in China, signaling a warming trend in relations, Yonhap reported.

He said the recent state visit by the Chinese leader to South Korea was a turning point for the comprehensive restoration of China-South Korea relations, according to the report.

Noh emphasized that the faithful implementation of the important consensus reached between the two leaders is of paramount importance, adding that "if both sides expand people-to-people exchanges and mutual trust, stabilize supply chains between enterprises, deepen economic cooperation, and strengthen intergovernmental coordination to support these efforts, China-South Korea relations will continue to grow stronger and more solid."

The atmosphere at Thursday's event reflected this optimism. When Noh greeted the audience in Chinese, saying, "Thank you very much for being here tonight," the guests responded with warm applause and cheers, the Korea Economic Daily reported.

The reception was attended by diplomats, military attachés, and members of the Korean community in China. Participants noted that while this year's event was similar in scale and format to previous years, the overall mood was noticeably more upbeat - mirroring the recent positive momentum in China-South Korea relations, according to Yonhap.

Global Times