Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has called for restoring cooperation among the capital cities of South Korea, China and Japan during a meeting with Beijing’s mayor, officials said Wednesday.

The meeting with Beijing Mayor Yin Yong took place Tuesday as Oh was in the Chinese capital as part of a nine-day trip that also took him to France. It marked the first senior-level meeting between the capital cities since 2018.

“Exchanges between local governments are very important,” Oh said during the meeting. “The relationship among Seoul, Beijing and Tokyo used to be very good. I hope the three cities can restore their cooperation and achieve mutual development through it.”

Seoul, Beijing and Tokyo have been called “BeSeTo” for short since the 1990s for their active exchanges as the point cities in Northeast Asia, but the cooperative mood has waned in recent years due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic, and security and history tensions.

Oh also invited the Beijing mayor to visit Seoul.

In response, Yin said it is meaning
ful that the two cities have actively sought exchanges in various fields and said he would consider visiting Seoul at an appropriate time.

The two mayors agreed to strengthen people-to-people and other exchanges while expanding interactions between teens and the youth in both countries to foster their understanding of each other’s culture and society.

“As Seoul and Beijing have been close neighbors up to now, I hope that they become partners that cooperate toward the peace and prosperity of Northeast Asia and, furthermore, the world,” Oh said.

Source: Yonhap News Agency