BEIJING — State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Feb 16 held a telephone conversation with Chung Eui-yong, South Korea's new foreign minister, on bilateral relations and the Korean Peninsula issue.

Noting that China and South Korea are each other's important neighbors and strategic cooperative partners, Wang said that under the care and guidance of the top leaders of both countries and with the joint efforts of both sides, the relationship between the two countries is pressing ahead toward achieving common development, dedicating to regional peace, joining efforts to rejuvenate Asia, and promoting world prosperity.

This year marks the opening of the China-South Korea Year of Cultural Exchanges, Wang said, adding that the next year will see the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and South Korea, which is of great significance to bilateral relations.

The two heads of state held a telephone conversation again at the beginning of the new year to jointly launch the China-South Korea Year of Cultural Exchanges and reached new and important consensus on strengthening exchanges and cooperation in various fields, making a good start for the development of bilateral relations throughout the year, Wang said.

As the current international and regional situation is changing rapidly, the two sides should strengthen communication and cooperation, implement the important consensus of the two heads of state, and push the China-South Korea strategic cooperative partnership to a higher level in keeping up with the times, Wang said.

China is ready to work with South Korea to consolidate anti-pandemic achievements, strengthen bilateral and multilateral anti-pandemic cooperation, continue to improve joint prevention and control and "fast track" arrangements, avoid exporting cases to each other, and guarantee the exchange of travelers on urgent businesses so as to serve the economic development of both countries as well as exchanges and cooperation in various fields, Wang said.

Chung, for his part, wished the Chinese people a happy spring festival, saying that South Korea attaches great importance to developing relations with China, and the upcoming two years are of particular significance to the South Korea-China relationship.

The two countries should jointly make plans for high-level exchanges in the next phase, ensure the success of the South Korea-China Year of Cultural Exchanges and the activities marking the 30th anniversary of bilateral relations, and deepen exchanges and cooperation in areas including economy and trade, humanity and culture, he said.

South Korea firmly supports China in hosting the Beijing Winter Olympics, and is willing to deepen regional anti-pandemic cooperation with China, Chung said.

The two sides also exchanged views on international issues of mutual concern.

China is in favor of regional cooperative mechanisms featuring openness and inclusiveness, and opposes dividing the world along ideological lines, Wang said.

Regarding the situation on the Korean Peninsula, Wang said that the evolution of the situation on the peninsula bears on the important interests of both China and South Korea.

China has always attached importance to the unique role of South Korea as a relevant party in the affairs of the peninsula, Wang said, adding that all parties should strengthen communication and coordination and make efforts to maintain peace and stability on the peninsula, and to achieve the two major goals of realizing denuclearization and establishing a permanent peace mechanism on the peninsula.

Chung presented South Korea's stance and said that the South Korean side is willing to continue to play a constructive role in promoting the resumption of peace talks on the peninsula.