ZENG YI/FOR CHINA DAILY In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, China and the Republic of Korea have made great progress in advancing bilateral relations China and the Republic of Korea have maintained close communication on political issues over the past year, consolidating the foundation for their mutual trust. The high-level exchanges and interactions have injected new momentum into their relations. Chinese President Xi Jinping had three telephone calls with his ROK counterpart Moon Jae-in to set the direction for bilateral relations. And Li Zhanshu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China, held a video conference with the ROK's National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug to normalize the regular meetings between the legislative bodies of the two countries. The visit to the ROK by Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee was a success. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and the ROK's Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong have conducted successful exchange visits in a short time.