President Lee Jae Myung, who is on a state visit to China, has called for greater economic cooperation between the two sides.

Attending a bilateral business forum at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on Monday, Lee likened the two countries to vessels in the same waters sailing in the same direction.

The South Korean leader said the two sides have enjoyed a successful relationship up to this point, having led the global economy by assisting each other’s development through closely linked industrial supply chains.

Looking ahead, Lee called for the two sides to take that cooperation to the next level through the use of artificial intelligence amid the rapidly changing and unpredictable global economic and trade environment.

The president expressed hopes of having frank discussions so the two countries can “chart a new course” in bilateral relations by focusing on areas where they share common ground rather than on their differences.