Former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Tuesday South Korea needs to continuously “persuade” China to understand that the two Koreas’ unification will not only contribute to global peace but also serve its own interests.

Ban made the remarks during the Global Korea Forum (GKF), a global forum hosted by the unification ministry and designed to garner international support for South Korea’s bid for peaceful unification.

“It is strategically vital to convince China and Japan that unification will significantly contribute to global peace and will be beneficial for them as well,” Ban said in his keynote speech.

The former diplomat also emphasized the need for South Korean officials to persuade the Chinese government that the South Korea-U.S. alliance is not adversarial and will ultimately benefit peace and stability in the region.

Source: Yonhap News Agency