1. Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Kim Gunn met with Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Republic of Korea Xing Haiming at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the afternoon of March 27, and discussed China’s entry restriction announced on March 26.

2. Deputy Minister Kim expressed concern that amid the recent signs of the COVID-19 outbreak subsiding in the ROK, including a drop in newly confirmed cases, the entry restriction announced by the Chinese government could restrain even the essential activities and exchanges of Korean nationals and companies.

o In addition, noting that the ROK and China have maintained communication and cooperation on COVID-19 response, Deputy Minister Kim expressed regret over the fact that China took the measure without giving prior notice to the ROK.

3. Ambassador Xing took note that the COVID-19 situation is stabilizing in the ROK recently, and asked for the ROK’s understanding, explaining that China inevitably imposed the restriction on all countries as part of stronger disease control efforts to respond to the increase in imported cases of the virus.

4. Deputy Minister Kim stressed that despite such rationale of the Chinese disease control policy, the ROK and China need to continue close communication to minimize inconvenience and damage to Korean nationals and companies caused by China’s latest measure. In particular, Deputy Minister Kim suggested that the two countries cooperate to continue Korean businesspeople’s essential business activities in China and humanitarian visits.

o Ambassador Xing said that China will actively work together to maintain essential activities and exchanges between the two countries in the economic and trade, science and technology, and humanitarian sectors, and offered to continue efforts to overcome the COVID-19 outbreak as early as possible and further strengthen bilateral exchanges.