The sound and steady growth of ties between China and the Republic of Korea (ROK) serves the interests of both countries, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning noted at a press briefing in Beijing on Tuesday.
In response to a media query regarding ROK President Lee Jae Myung's ongoing state visit to China, Mao expressed the Chinese side's willingness to bring the China-ROK strategic cooperative partnership forward along the track of sound development.
"China and the ROK are neighbors and close partners. The sound and steady growth of bilateral relations serves the fundamental interests of both peoples. We stand ready to work with the ROK to achieve more tangible results in bilateral relations in the new year," Mao said.
At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Lee is paying a state visit to China from Jan 4 to 7.
Sound, stable China-ROK relations serve interests of both countries: spokeswoman
The Global Mayors Dialogue opened in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province on Tuesday, bringing together mayors and senior city officials from across Europe, Asia, and North America to have in-depth exchanges on practical approaches to developing the ice and snow economy.
Held under the theme "Connecting the World with Ice and Snow, Win-Win Cooperation for a Shared Future", the three-day event gathered mayors, deputy mayors, and mayoral representatives from cities across the globe, including Canada, Finland, Germany, Greece, the Republic of Korea, Thailand, and Türkiye, focusing on the ice and snow economy, cultural integration, smart city development, heritage preservation, and urban governance.
The event featured a main dialogue and a scenario-based dialogue salon to foster in-depth exchanges and spark new ideas. Guests are invited to visit iconic sites such as the Harbin Ice and Snow World and attend the opening ceremony and trade events of the Harbin Ice and Snow Economy Expo, which are showcasing Harbin's achievements in building an ice and snow economy brand, strengthening international exchanges and cooperation, and inheriting ice and snow culture.
Harbin, called China's "ice city", has turned its long, cold winters into a major tourist attraction. Last winter, it welcomed a record 90.36 million visitors, generating 137.22 billion yuan (about 19.44 billion U.S. dollars) in revenue, a year-on-year increase of 16.6 percent.
International mayors gather in Harbin to explore ice and snow economy
