"China congratulates Mr. Yoon on his election as the new president of South Korea," Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters, adding Beijing is willing to promote "the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations."
hina on Thursday expressed willingness to deepen relations with South Korea under President-elect Yoon Suk Yeol, as this year marks the 30th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties.
"China congratulates Mr. Yoon on his election as the new president of South Korea," Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters, adding Beijing is willing to promote "the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations."
As President Xi Jinping has been eager to boost his influence to secure a controversial third term as leader at the ruling Communist Party's twice-a-decade congress in the fall, China is believed to be trying to improve ties with its neighbors such as South Korea and Japan.
In South Korea, anti-China sentiment has been spreading since a performer clad in a traditional Korean "hanbok" dress appeared in the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics through Feb. 20 representing ethnic Koreans in China.
Some South Koreans regarded it as cultural appropriation by China.
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