China 'stands ready to maintain communication' as S.Korea names new ambassador

China stands ready to maintain communication with South Korea on its nomination of new ambassador to promote sound and steady growth of China-South Korea relations, said the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Monday in response to South Korea naming the former chief of staff of the president as the new South Korean Ambassador to China. 

Mao Ning, spokesperson of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, made the remarks at a routine press conference, saying that "ambassadors act as bridges for the growth of relations between countries."

According to the Korea Times, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol decided to name his former chief of staff Kim Dae-ki as the new ambassador to China, his office said.

South Korean presidential chief of staff Chung Jin-suk announced the decision at a press briefing, saying Kim was chosen for his "abundant policy experience" in economic cooperation with China.

Not only has he delved into China's society, history and culture with a deep interest in South Korea-China relations, mostly concerning economic issues, but he also speaks advanced Chinese, Chung said.

Kim is expected to not only coKim was Yoon's first chief of staff from May 2022 until December 2023, according to the Korea Times.

Lü Chao, a research fellow on Northeast Asia studies at Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Monday that the nomination shows that Yoon really wants to fix and improve ties with China, as Kim is a core member of Yoon's decision-making group, and his experience in the fields of economy and trade and the pragmatic exchanges that he had with China in the past will greatly help him do a better job than his predecessor in China. 

"We have noticed that Yoon made some positive remarks on China-South Korea relations recently, and we hope South Korea can take concrete actions to respect China's core interests and build a bilateral relationship based on mutual respect and win-win cooperation," Lü noted.