In five days, China and the Republic of Korea (ROK) will mark the 34th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. There is an old Chinese saying from Confucius: “At 30, one stands on one’s own; at 40, one is free from doubts.” The same, in some ways, is true of relations between countries. Last year, as Korea’s new government had just taken office, I expressed my hopes for China-ROK relations in three phrases: look back, look anew and set out again. Much has changed over the past year and much of it is encouraging. Most notably, President Xi Jinping and President Lee Jae Myung paid reciprocal visits within two months, giving fresh impetus to bilateral relations and opening a new chapter in our ties. This is broadly the direction in which China-ROK relations are moving, while some issues still call for joint efforts. Under the new circumstances, both sides should build on the current momentum, reinforce what is positive, address what needs to be improved and work together to keep bilateral relations healthy, stable and moving upward. Mutual objective, comprehensive