Chinese Ambassador to Korea Xing Haiming, left, speaks with North Gyeongsang Gov. Lee Cheol-woo on ways to boost cooperation at the governor's office in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, Tuesday. Courtesy of North Gyeongsang Provincial Office

North Gyeongsang Gov. Lee Cheol-woo met with Chinese Ambassador to Korea Xing Haiming Tuesday to discuss increasing cooperation in culture and tourism.

During the meeting at the provincial office in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, Lee said mutually beneficial economic growth has been seen between Korea and China over the past three decades since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1992.

He emphasized the importance of expanding cooperation beyond economic realms into areas such as culture and tourism.

"Over the past 30 years, Korea and China have grown together economically. Now, it's time to explore new avenues of collaboration and create fresh momentum for growth," Lee said.

The ambassador echoed these sentiments, noting the two nations' geographical proximity and the significance of cooperation in addressing shared challenges.

"China has a saying, 'Virtue is not solitary; there must be neighbors.' This underscores the importance of cooperation between neighboring countries like ours in resolving various issues," Xing said.

North Gyeongsang Province has established cooperative relationships with six regions in China, including Henan, Hubei and Jilin provinces. Notably, it has been actively engaging in an people-to-people exchange program with Hubei province and operates a trade office in Shanghai.