South Korea and China are inseparable neighbors, Chinese Ambassador Xing Haiming said Wednesday, calling for closer ties and greater exchanges, after tensions rose last month over his expression of discontent with Seoul's siding with Washington.
"My hope is for China and South Korea to get along well as friends and neighbors, just as when the two countries first established diplomatic relations," Xing said during talks with Jeju Gov. Oh Young-hun on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the South Korea-China Future Forum on the southern island of Jeju.
"China and South Korea are neighbors that cannot be separated," he said. "Neighbors can become close when they conduct a lot of exchanges."
Last month, tensions spiked between Seoul and Beijing after Xing said during a meeting with opposition leader Lee Jae-myung that those who bet on China's loss in its rivalry with the United States would "definitely regret it."
Xing said the two countries should advance their bilateral relations with a "good neighborly" spirit, highlighting the importance of resolving the conflict and improving relations between South Korea and China.
"Of course problems can arise. We should resolve them through dialogue and strive to improve bilateral ties," the diplomat said.
Xing also responded positively to a request by the Jeju governor to help facilitate visits by Chinese tourists to the southern island.
"There should be tourism so that we can go back and forth with each other," the envoy said. "We can anticipate there will be a good outcome soon."
The international exchange week on Jeju, part of the South Korea-China Future Forum, plans to hold forums, a roundtable conference, and an inspection of industries and cultural facilities there until Thursday.
Source: Yonhap News Agency