Ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's first visit to Korea in 11 years on the 30th, the Chinese ambassador to Korea emphasized the importance of a bilateral alliance and said the two sides should "overcome external interference."
On the 29th, Ambassador Dai Bing said in a guest essay for the state-run People's Daily that "the Korea-China strategic cooperative partnership does not target any third party and should not be constrained," adding that "both sides should uphold good-neighborly friendship and respect each other's core interests and major concerns."
He also emphasized that "as beneficiaries and supporters of economic globalization, Korea and China should jointly oppose unilateralism and protectionism, stand against unilateral bullying and 'decoupling and supply chain severance,' and safeguard the free trade system and smooth industrial and supply chains."
Ambassador Dai said, "Korea-China relations have entered a crucial period in which, if they do not move forward, they will fall behind. In recent years, the two countries' industries have been gradually shifting from a complementary vertical division of labor to close horizontal cooperation, and although competition has indeed become more pronounced in some areas, the strategic and mutually beneficial nature of overall cooperation remains unchanged," adding, "As powerhouses in science and technology innovation and manufacturing, Korea and China should achieve a higher level of mutual benefit and win-win outcomes through a 'strong-strong alliance' in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), green development, manufacturing, and biopharmaceuticals."
Regarding the recommendations for the recently unveiled framework of the "15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030)," Ambassador Dai said, "China will advance Chinese-style modernization through high-quality development, which will provide more opportunities for the common prosperity of Korea, China, and the Asia-Pacific."