The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced today (Saturday) that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed support for South Korea’s efforts to develop a “healthy and mature” cooperative relationship with China.
During a phone call with South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin, Blinken discussed bilateral relations, China-South Korea relations, as well as issues related to North Korea, according to a statement from the ministry.
Blinken is set to arrive in Beijing on Sunday in what is considered the highest-level visit by an official in U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration.
The ministry stated that Blinken and Park strongly condemned what they consider to be repeated provocations by North Korea and agreed on the importance of the United States, South Korea, and Japan continuing to urge China to play a constructive role in the United Nations Security Council regarding denuclearization. The statement did not provide further details.
U.S. officials say they do not expect Blinken’s visit to China, the first by a U.S. Secretary of State in five years, to lead to a breakthrough in the way Washington and Beijing interact.
Blinken stated on Friday that the visit aims to establish “open and strong” communications.
