BEIJING: Chinese leader Xi Jinping urged South Korea’s new President Lee Jae-myung on Tuesday (Jun 10) to work with Beijing to uphold free trade and defend “multilateralism”, state media said.
In a phone call with Lee, Xi urged Beijing and Seoul to “inject more certainty into regional and international situations”, Xinhua said, as well as to “promote strategic cooperative partnership to higher level”.
“A healthy, stable, and continuously deepening China-South Korea relationship aligns with the trend of the times,” Xi said.
“Close bilateral cooperation and multilateral coordination should be maintained to jointly uphold multilateralism and free trade, ensuring the stability and smooth functioning of global and regional industrial and supply chains,” the Chinese leader added.
South Korea’s new centre-left leader was elected in a landslide last week after winning a snap election triggered by his predecessor’s disastrous martial law declaration.
