Key Points
- South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is in China for a four-day visit to meet with President Xi Jinping.
- The talks will focus on North Korea, economic ties, and cultural exchanges.
- Lee is seeking China’s help with the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
- A large business delegation, including the heads of Samsung and LG, is also in Beijing.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is in Beijing for a four-day state visit, with a key summit meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping scheduled for Monday. The talks will focus on North Korea, economic cooperation, and cultural exchanges. Still, the timing is made more tense by North Korea’s first ballistic missile test of the year, which happened just hours before Lee’s arrival.
This is Lee’s first trip to China since he took office last year, and it’s the first time a South Korean president has visited since 2019. The visit is part of Lee’s “pragmatic” diplomatic approach, which aims to balance South Korea’s strong alliance with the United States with its crucial economic and security relationship with China.
One of Lee’s top priorities will be to seek China’s help in addressing North Korea. He is expected to push for progress on denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula and to improve the strained ties between Seoul and Pyongyang.
Economic issues will also be a major focus. Before the summit, Lee will attend a business forum with a large delegation of South Korean business leaders, including the chairmen of Samsung, SK Group, and LG. The two sides are expected to sign more than 10 agreements to expand cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence, green energy, and tourism.
Cultural exchanges will be another key topic. South Korea is seeking to increase its presence in the Chinese market, which has been unofficially restricted since 2017.
However, there are also some sensitive issues to navigate. Tensions are high over Taiwan, and Lee will likely face pressure to clarify South Korea’s position. He has already reaffirmed his country’s support for the “One China” policy in an interview with Chinese state media.
The two leaders will also have to discuss a dispute over steel structures China is building in a contested area of the Yellow Sea.
