BEIJING (Yonhap News) ― Senior officials from South Korea and China held inaugural talks on Wednesday during which they discussed ways to promote bilateral cooperation on climate change and address environmental problems, a Seoul official here said.

The Korea-China Climate Change Dialogue, the first of its kind, was led by Shin Boo-nam, South Korean ambassador for green growth, and Su Wei, director general of the climate change department at the National Development and Reform Commission, China’s top economic planning body.

During the talks in Beijing, the two sides “exchanged opinions on global negotiations on climate change and discussed ways to increase bilateral cooperation to cope with climate change,” the Seoul official said.

China is grappling with a number of environmental woes, with air and water pollution being a major source of public complaints at home.