China Stresses Mutual Benefit With U.S. and South Korea, Warns Against Decoupling

China’s Commerce Minister said on 18 July that "mutual benefit is the essence of U.S.–China commercial ties," acknowledging that differences and frictions are inevitable but should be addressed through dialogue that respects each side’s core interests. The minister added that Beijing aims to return the bilateral trading relationship to a “healthy and sustainable” footing. Ten days later, Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his South Korean counterpart in a phone call reported by Xinhua that Beijing and Seoul should work together to oppose economic "decoupling" and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation. Both ministers agreed, according to South Korea’s foreign ministry, to advance the “mature” development of their strategic partnership and keep Seoul’s China policy “stable, sustainable and predictable.”