China's Wang Yi in Seoul for Talks Amid US-North Korea Diplomacy Push

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrived in Seoul on Wednesday for a two-day visit, holding talks with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun later in the day. The discussions are expected to cover bilateral relations, Korean Peninsula issues, and regional affairs, according to Seoul's Foreign Ministry.

On Thursday, Wang is scheduled to meet President Lee Jae Myung and hold talks with National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac, the presidential office confirmed.

The visit comes after South Korea and the United States scaled back their joint military exercises, a move ordered by US President Donald Trump, who cited his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and indicated willingness to meet him again.

China, North Korea's only formal treaty ally, has not directly commented on Trump's remarks. However, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian reiterated Beijing's long-standing position, saying that maintaining peace and stability on the peninsula and promoting a political settlement of the Korean Peninsula issue is in the common interests of all parties.

Speaking in parliament earlier on Wednesday, Cho said he expected to discuss recent developments surrounding the military exercises with Wang. He also revealed that Seoul is pursuing a summit between President Lee and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen in November.

Wang's visit also follows Lee's proposal for multilateral talks involving parties to the 1950-53 Korean War to establish a lasting peace on the peninsula. Lee is expected to attend the APEC summit in November.