On December 12, Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao met with South Korea's Minister of Industry and Trade Kim Jeong-gwan in Beijing. The two sides exchanged views on implementing the important consensus of the heads of state of the two countries, speeding up negotiations on the second phase of the China-Korea FTA, consolidating cooperation in traditional fields, expanding cooperation in emerging fields, and promoting the upgrading of Sino-South Korea economic and trade cooperation. Wang Wentao said that not long ago, the heads of state of China and South Korea held talks and reached an important consensus on promoting the healthy and stable development of Sino-South Korea relations, providing strategic guidance for the development of bilateral economic and trade relations. The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee drew up a grand blueprint for China's development over the next five years. China will resolutely expand high-level opening-up to the outside world, which will provide a wider space for Sino-South Korea economic and trade cooperation. The two sides should speed up negotiations on the second phase of the China-Korea FTA to reach an agreement as soon as possible; open up a “new track” and build a “new engine” to actively promote cooperation in emerging fields, encourage and support local economic and trade cooperation, and deepen industrial chain supply chain and trade and investment cooperation; and strengthen cooperation under the framework of the World Trade Organization, APEC, and regional comprehensive economic partnership agreements to jointly maintain free trade and multilateralism. Kim Jong-kwan said that South Korea is willing to work with China to earnestly implement the important consensus reached by the heads of state of the two countries, speed up the negotiation process in the second phase of the Korea-China FTA, maintain a stable and smooth supply chain in the industrial chain, strengthen dialogue and communication in the field of trade remedies, continue to deepen local economic and trade cooperation, and strengthen communication and coordination within the framework of regional and multilateral cooperation to jointly maintain the multilateral trading system. The South Korean side supports China as the host to host the 2026 APEC meeting series, and is willing to share its experience in hosting the conference.

On December 12, Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao met with South Korea's Minister of Industry and Trade Kim Jeong-gwan in Beijing. The two sides exchanged views on implementing the important consensus of the heads of state of the two countries, speeding up negotiations on the second phase of the China-Korea FTA, consolidating cooperation in traditional fields, expanding cooperation in emerging fields, and promoting the upgrading of Sino-South Korea economic and trade cooperation. Wang Wentao said that not long ago, the heads of state of China and South Korea held talks and reached an important consensus on promoting the healthy and stable development of Sino-South Korea relations, providing strategic guidance for the development of bilateral economic and trade relations. The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee drew up a grand blueprint for China's development over the next five years. China will resolutely expand high-level opening-up to the outside world, which will provide a wider space for Sino-South Korea economic and trade cooperation. The two sides should speed up negotiations on the second phase of the China-Korea FTA to reach an agreement as soon as possible; open up a “new track” and build a “new engine” to actively promote cooperation in emerging fields, encourage and support local economic and trade cooperation, and deepen industrial chain supply chain and trade and investment cooperation; and strengthen cooperation under the framework of the World Trade Organization, APEC, and regional comprehensive economic partnership agreements to jointly maintain free trade and multilateralism. Kim Jong-kwan said that South Korea is willing to work with China to earnestly implement the important consensus reached by the heads of state of the two countries, speed up the negotiation process in the second phase of the Korea-China FTA, maintain a stable and smooth supply chain in the industrial chain, strengthen dialogue and communication in the field of trade remedies, continue to deepen local economic and trade cooperation, and strengthen communication and coordination within the framework of regional and multilateral cooperation to jointly maintain the multilateral trading system. The South Korean side supports China as the host to host the 2026 APEC meeting series, and is willing to share its experience in hosting the conference.