The logo of the APEC "China Year" is displayed on screens during the APEC Informal Senior Officials' Meeting (ISOM) in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Dec. 12, 2025.

Chinese and South Korean diplomats held talks on Wednesday, hailing the mutual visits by the heads of state as opening a new chapter in bilateral relations, and expressed the willingness and confidence within their business communities to strengthen cooperation.

The consensus was reached on Wednesday when Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Dai Bing met with Park Jong-han, a deputy minister for Economic Diplomacy, according to a statement published by the Chinese Embassy in South Korea on its official WeChat account.

According to the statement, the two sides agreed that they would work together to earnestly implement the important consensus reached by the two state leaders, seize the momentum to enhance communication and cooperation, expand the cake of common interests and better deliver benefits to the people of both countries.

Dai and Park also exchanged views on issues of common interest, including China's hosting of the APEC meeting in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province, late this year.

Before the 2025 APEC, the 32nd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting was held in Gyeongju, South Korea, according to Xinhua.

In December 2025, the APEC Informal Senior Officials' Meeting, the first meeting that China held as the host of the 2026 APEC, concluded in Shenzhen, marking the opening of the APEC "China Year," as China is set to host about 300 events during 2026. 

Notably, China proposed openness, innovation and cooperation as the three priorities for the APEC "China Year" and "Building an Asia-Pacific Community to Prosper Together" as its theme, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu attended the meeting and delivered a speech. Ma stated that during the APEC meeting in Gyeongju, it was emphasized that China is ready to seize the opportunity of hosting the 2026 APEC to work together with all parties to advance the goal of an Asia-Pacific community, energize practical cooperation on priorities including the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific, connectivity, digital economy and artificial intelligence, so as to inject greater vitality and impetus into development in the Asia-Pacific and deliver more benefits to the people of the region.


Global Times