Lima: President Yoon Suk Yeol called on Chinese President Xi Jinping to take a "constructive" role in addressing North Korea's provocations and its increasing military cooperation with Russia, which supports Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. The discussions took place during a summit on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation in Lima, amid escalating concerns over North Korea's frequent ballistic missile tests and troop deployments to Russia, as stated by Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo. According to Yonhap News Agency, Yoon expressed his hope for cooperation between China and South Korea to promote regional stability and peace in response to North Korea's actions, the situation in Ukraine, and the military alliance between Russia and North Korea. He emphasized China's significance as a partner in security, economy, culture, and people-to-people exchanges, and expressed a desire to develop a strategic cooperative partnership founded on "mutual respect, reciprocity, and commo n interests." As the 10th anniversary of the bilateral free trade agreement approaches next year, Yoon and Xi agreed to expedite negotiations to enhance the deal, aiming to reduce barriers in services and investment. Yoon also sought Beijing's support in ensuring a "predictable and stable" business environment for Korean companies, given China's status as South Korea's largest trading partner. Xi, in response, indicated that China does not seek increased tension on the Korean Peninsula and hopes for a peaceful resolution through dialogue and negotiations for a "political solution," according to Kim. He emphasized the importance of the "healthy and steady" development of bilateral ties to contribute to regional peace, stability, and prosperity. Xi acknowledged the changes in the global and regional situation over the past two years but noted that China-South Korea relations have generally maintained momentum for development. He reiterated the need for both countries to adhere to the original intentions of e stablishing diplomatic ties, uphold good-neighborly friendship, and commit to mutual benefit and co-prosperity. During the summit, the leaders exchanged invitations to visit each other's countries to further their discussions and strengthen bilateral relations. Additionally, China recently added South Korea to its list of temporary visa waiver countries, a move cautiously welcomed by Seoul as a step toward improving bilateral ties. South Korea hopes this decision will foster a more "friendly sentiment" between the two nations.