China suggested to South Korea that both Korea and China are beneficiaries of the global free trade order and proposed to jointly safeguard the 'multilateral trading system' through economic integration, such as pursuing the Korea-China and Korea-China-Japan free trade agreements (FTAs). This is interpreted as China reaching out to South Korea and Japan to promote change amid the indiscriminate trade pressures imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, who prioritizes 'America First.'
According to a press release posted on China’s Ministry of Commerce's website on the 30th, Director General Wang Wentao noted at the Korea-China Ministerial Meeting held in Seoul the previous day that 'China and South Korea are both beneficiaries and guardians of free trade and multilateralism,' and stated, 'We should strengthen cooperation in regional and multilateral frameworks, and promote the early resumption of Korea-China-Japan FTA negotiations to jointly safeguard the multilateral trading system and facilitate regional economic integration.'
Director General Wang suggested, 'We must accelerate the second phase of Korea-China FTA negotiations and strengthen exchanges and cooperation through dialogue channels like the Korea-China industrial-supply chain cooperation hotline and export control discussions,' and emphasized the need to work together to ensure that economic and trade relations between the two countries can develop stably and long-term.
He particularly emphasized cooperation in the 'semiconductor' sector. Director General Wang said, 'South Korea and China are important economic and trade partners for each other, and the industrial and supply chains in sectors like semiconductors are deeply integrated.' This statement is interpreted as highlighting the necessity of collaboration with South Korea, a key partner in the semiconductor industry, amid U.S. semiconductor sanctions against China.
Director General Wang also urged economic cooperation to 'maintain the free trade order' not only with South Korea but also with Japan. In the opening remarks at the Korea-China-Japan Economic and Trade Ministers' Meeting held on the same day, he emphasized, 'Strengthening cooperation among the three countries in the current global economic situation, where uncertainty and instability are increasing, is crucial for promoting regional economic growth and safeguarding the global free trade system and multilateral trade rules,' urging joint efforts among Korea, China, and Japan to promote free trade.
Wang Liping, Director General of China’s Ministry of Commerce, also made similar remarks at a joint press conference following the Korea-China-Japan trilateral ministerial meeting, stating, 'The global economy is under pressure from many factors, including unilateralism and protectionism,' and emphasized that 'Korea, China, and Japan should jointly safeguard free trade and the multilateral trading system, oppose unilateralism and protectionist measures, and continue to promote regional economic integration to inject momentum into global economic prosperity and development.'