High-Level China-Korea Capital Meeting Held After 6 Years... Continuing People-to-People Exchange and Policy Sharing

Mayor Oh Se-hoon Meets with Beijing Mayor Yin Yong... First Meeting Since 2018
Resumption of High-Level Urban Diplomacy... Strengthening Exchanges in Citizen-Centric Areas Such as Economy
Shared Commitment to Expanding Exchanges Among Future Generations Including Youth and Adolescents... Respect for Culture

A high-level meeting between the mayors of Seoul and Beijing, the capitals of South Korea and China, was held for the first time in six years. This meeting, arranged in line with the recent improvement in Korea-China diplomatic relations, sets the stage for the two cities to expand opportunities for policy sharing based on human exchanges.

On the afternoon of the 30th (local time), Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon met with Beijing Mayor Yin Yong at the Beijing Municipal Government Office to celebrate the resumption of high-level urban diplomacy and pledged to strengthen exchanges in areas closely related to citizens' lives, such as the economy.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Beijing Mayor Yin Yong.
[Photo by Seoul City]

Mayor Yin Yong, who previously served as Vice Governor of the People's Bank of China and assumed office as Beijing Mayor in 2023, is the youngest senior official among China's 31 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions. A financial expert who worked for 20 years at the State Administration of Foreign Exchange before becoming Vice Governor of the People's Bank, he is regarded as a "policy executor" of President Xi Jinping, emphasizing financial risk prevention and banning housing speculation while advocating for common prosperity.

Although Mayor Oh and Mayor Yin met for the first time on this day, the two cities maintained continuous communication and cooperation even during the pandemic, including mutual support of quarantine supplies. Since establishing a sister city relationship in 1992, the year following the establishment of diplomatic relations between Korea and China, they have actively exchanged in various fields for over 30 years. In 2013, they launched the Seoul-Beijing Integrated Committee, a permanent cooperation organization, to build a sustainable cooperation foundation between the two cities.

On this day, Mayor Oh told Mayor Yin, "The two cities have been partners actively exchanging in all fields including economy, culture, tourism, and human exchanges," adding, "Let us continue to maintain a future-oriented relationship for the better lives of our citizens." In particular, the two agreed that the time has come to jointly solve various problems faced by large cities and open new avenues for exchange, actively promoting exchanges not only in human and cultural fields but also among city officials to expand opportunities for sharing excellent policies.

They also discussed ways to strengthen exchanges in youth and young adult sectors. They emphasized creating an atmosphere where the future generations, who will bear the future of both countries, understand each other's cultures and social environments, and pledged to work together to establish a cooperative foundation for joint development and prosperity.

Mayor Oh also invited a Beijing city delegation along with outstanding companies and startups to the Seoul Smart Life Week scheduled for October. He expressed hope that "just as Seoul and Beijing have been the closest neighbors so far, they will continue to be partners cooperating for peace and prosperity in Northeast Asia and beyond in the future."

Meanwhile, Mayor Oh continues his efforts to lay the groundwork for economic cooperation in Beijing. On this day, he visited the 'Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center,' the first provincial-level facility of its kind in China, located in the Beijing E-Town Economic and Technological Development Zone, to hear about Beijing's policies supporting the robotics industry and explore ways to apply them to Seoul's robotics industry. In the afternoon, he visited 'Zhongguancun,' known as China's Silicon Valley, toured major startup support facilities, and shared strategies for developing the domestic startup ecosystem and fostering startups.

On the morning of the final day, the 1st, he plans to visit the 'Beijing Future Science City' to hear policies related to robotics, medical care, and energy sectors and to conceive innovative ideas for developing the city as Asia's leading advanced industrial city. The 'Beijing Future Science City' is characterized by its infrastructure supporting stable settlement of global science and technology talents, including housing, culture, and education. Meetings with representatives from large and medium-sized enterprises, small and medium enterprises, and startups operating locally are also planned. During these meetings, he will listen to difficulties faced by companies operating in China and seek support measures to create a stable business environment for China-related business as well as directions for Seoul's economic policy development.