Chinese President Xi Jinping told South Korean President Lee Jae-myung on Tuesday that the two countries should respect each other's core interests and major concerns, and ensure ties move forward "on the right track",

Chinese President Xi Jinping held his first phone conversation with South Korea’s newly elected President Lee Jae-myung and called for cooperation to safeguard multilateralism and free trade.

Lee Jae-myung took office last week after an election campaign in which he had pledged to establish stronger ties with Beijing.