Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Kim Min-seok in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, where Kim is attending the 17th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, on June 23, 2026. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Tuesday met with Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Kim Min-seok in the northeast China port city of Dalian, where Kim is attending the 17th Annual Meeting of the New Champions.

Li stated that China stands ready to work with the ROK to follow the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, consolidate the foundation of political mutual trust, respect and accommodate each other's core interests and major concerns, uphold equality and mutual benefit, steadily expand the breadth and depth of bilateral cooperation, and advance the sound, steady and long-term development of the China-ROK strategic cooperative partnership, so as to jointly deliver prosperity to both countries and the wider region.

Li said China and the ROK boast huge untapped potential in trade cooperation. China will work with the ROK to fully leverage institutional mechanisms including the trade ministers' meeting, accelerate the second phase of free trade agreement negotiations, and boost the expansion and upgrading of two-way trade, he added.

Li noted that both sides boast respective innovative strengths and deeply integrated industrial and value chains, enabling the two countries to further align their development strengths and fully unlock complementary advantages. "We will consolidate and upgrade cooperation in traditional industries while scaling up collaboration in emerging sectors such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, new energy and biomedicine," he said.

Li said the two sides will deepen exchanges and cooperation in tourism, education, youth, media and think tanks, constantly strengthening the bonds between the two peoples. China also stands ready to bolster coordination and cooperation with the ROK to jointly advance the building of an open Asia-Pacific economy, he added.

Kim noted that the ROK welcomes Chinese enterprises to invest and operate in the country, and stands ready to deepen industrial and supply chain cooperation with China.

The ROK attaches great importance to China's important role and influence in international affairs, actively supports China as this year's host of the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, and is ready to step up communication and coordination with China to make greater contributions to upholding multilateralism and safeguarding regional and global peace and stability, he added. ■