Yonhap News Agency: What proposals does China have for reviving the political settlement of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue? This year is the 30th anniversary year of China-ROK diplomatic relations. How does China see the future of China-ROK relations?

Wang Yi: As an old Chinese saying goes, "We must tend to the root cause when curing a disease or remedying a mistake." The root cause for the issues on the Korean Peninsula is that the external security threats facing the DPRK have remained unresolved and its legitimate security concerns unaddressed for too long.

To resolve the issues on the Korean Peninsula, the parties concerned must meet each other halfway. Since 2018, the DPRK has taken a set of steps to get dialogue going, but these steps have not been duly reciprocated. This is not consistent with the "action for action" principle agreed by all parties. As a result, the already severe trust deficit between the DPRK and the US has further exacerbated. And the various dialogue proposals have become empty slogans.

We have taken note of the recent US statement that it harbors no hostile intent toward the DPRK and is ready to address the issues through diplomacy. This should be welcomed. How the situation will evolve, however, will still largely depend on what the US will do: whether it will take the actions needed to settle the issues on the Peninsula or continue to use them as a geostrategic leverage.

Once again we call on the US to take concrete measures to address the legitimate security concerns of the DPRK and build basic mutual trust. The parties need to follow the dual-track approach and the principle of phased and synchronized actions to advance the political settlement of the issues. China will continue to play a constructive role and do what is necessary to facilitate the endeavor.

China and the ROK are friendly neighbors sharing a deep historical bond. The Chinese people often say, "A close neighbor can be more helpful than a distant relative." This is echoed by a similar proverb in the ROK, while a house could be bought with three coppers, a good neighbor is worth 1,000 pieces of gold. This year marks the 30th anniversary of China-ROK diplomatic relations. Over the past three decades, China-ROK relations have withstood the changing circumstances and achieved all-round and rapid development. Past events have proven that China and the ROK are not adversaries, but partners with converging interests, a lot to offer each other and much untapped cooperation potential. China will work with the ROK and take the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties as an opportunity to carry forward our tradition of friendship, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and achieve greater development together.

Khabar 24 News Channel: This year marks the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the five Central Asian countries. What will China do to meet the goals set at the virtual summit held early this year to commemorate the anniversary?

Wang Yi: This year has seen a string of major, joyous occasions in China's relations with Central Asia. In January, President Xi Jinping had a virtual summit with the presidents of the five Central Asian countries to commemorate the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations. That was followed by the visits of the five presidents to Beijing for a "rendezvous with the Winter Olympics".

China always believes that a growing, prosperous, stable and dynamic Central Asia is in the common interest of China and other countries in the region. We will continue to follow the principles of mutual respect, good-neighborly friendship, solidarity in trying times and mutual benefit, as it works with Central Asian countries to forge a strategic partnership featuring rich substance, fruitful results and enduring friendship, and build a China-Central Asia community with a shared future.

China's relations with the five Central Asian countries, now at a golden age of 30, enjoy a bright prospect of vibrant growth. China will work with the five countries to follow up on the outcomes of the 30th anniversary commemorative summit, substantiate and strengthen the "China plus five Central Asian countries" cooperation mechanism, expand and deepen cooperation in such areas as COVID-19 response, industrial capacity, energy, agriculture, people-to-people exchange, digital economy and green development, and firmly support each other on issues concerning core interests, so as to build an even closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future and usher in yet another three decades of great achievements for China-Central Asia relations.

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