N. Korea, supply chain issue to be discussed in S. Korea-China high-level talks next week

SEOUL, Aug. 6 (Yonhap) -- South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin said Saturday his talks with China's top diplomat next week will focus on ways for cooperation on North Korea and stability in supply chains.

He is scheduled to make a three-day trip to the eastern Chinese port city of Qingdao from Monday, during which he will meet bilaterally with his counterpart Wang Yi. It comes as the neighboring countries mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties on Aug. 24.

In the talks, slated for Tuesday, the two sides will assess progress in their relations over the past three decades and discuss ways for further development, Park told reporters at Incheon International Airport. He returned from Cambodia, where a series of annual meetings, hosted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), were held.

On agenda items in talks with Wang, Park cited how to strengthen "strategic communication" for a resolution to the North Korean nuclear issue and stability in global supply chains in the economic security field.

Park, meanwhile, said he used the sessions in Phnom Penh to explain the Yoon Suk-yeol administration's proactive efforts for closer ties with ASEAN. He attended the ASEAN-South Korea Ministerial Meeting on Thursday.

"(We) have agreed to expand cooperation in various sectors, including trade, diplomacy, security, development cooperation and cultural exchanges," he said.

The two sides agreed to strengthen coordination for the diplomacy-based denuclearization of North Korea, he added.

Park participated as well in the ASEAN Plus Three meeting, which also involves China and Japan, the East Asia Summit (EAS) Foreign Ministers' Meeting and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).

He used the meetings to stress Seoul's position that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is crucial for regional security and prosperity as well as its stance on such matters as the South China Sea, Myanmar and Ukraine.

He had one-on-one talks with counterparts from some other major countries, including the United States, Japan and Canada, on the sidelines of the sessions.
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