Chinese President Xi Jinping invited South Korean President Lee Jae-myung for a state visit to Beijing, demonstrating China’s desire to strengthen ties with South Korea amid regional turmoil.
South Korea’s National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lak told reporters on Friday that Lee will meet with President Xi in Beijing on Monday and then head to Shanghai to visit the historic site of South Korea’s provisional government during Japan’s 35 years of colonial rule.
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According to Yonhap News, Wi said the leaders will discuss “practical cooperation” in areas such as supply chain investment, tourism and combating cross-border crime.
Li is also expected to persuade China to play a “constructive” role in achieving a “breakthrough in resolving the Korean Peninsula issue,” Wi added.
The meeting will be the second between Mr Xi and Mr Li in just two months, but analysts say the interval is unusually short and reflects Beijing’s interest in strengthening ties before the next South Korea-Japan summit.
Relations between China and Japan have remained at a low ebb since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested in November that a supposed Chinese attack on Taiwan could provoke a military response from the Japanese government.
Wie reaffirmed South Korea’s position on Taiwan on Friday, saying the country “respects the one-China policy and will act in accordance with that position.” This position recognizes the Chinese government’s view that Taiwan remains part of Taiwan’s sovereign territory while recognizing a separate relationship with the autonomous island.
Kang Joon-young, a professor of political economy at the Korea University of Foreign Studies, said, “China wants to emphasize the importance of South Korea a little more than it has in the past.”
“China seems to have decided strategically that it would be better to do that.” [Lee] “I will visit China before South Korea holds another summit with Japan,” Kang told Reuters.
Meanwhile, the Lee administration has emphasized its goal of “restoring” relations with China, which remains South Korea’s largest trading partner. At the same time, President Lee’s “practical diplomacy” approach is aimed at maintaining strong ties with Japan and South Korea’s most important ally, the United States, he said.
Under Lee’s predecessor, Yun Seok-yue, South Korea moved closer to the United States and Tokyo and increased criticism of China’s stance toward Taiwan.
By contrast, Li has said he will not take sides in the conflict between China and Japan, a position he maintains amid heightened tensions around the Taiwan Strait following Beijing’s recent large-scale military exercises near Taiwan.
Security alliance, regional strategy
Shin Beom-cheol, a former South Korean vice minister of defense and a senior fellow at the Sejong Institute, said the two leaders may also address controversial issues, such as efforts to modernize the South Korea-US alliance, which some see as a counterbalance to China’s dominance in the Asia-Pacific region.
Approximately 28,500 US troops are currently stationed in South Korea to deter the threat from North Korea. U.S. officials have signaled plans to make these forces more flexible to respond to other regional challenges, such as the growing military power of Taiwan and China.
“South Korea is not simply responding to threats on the peninsula,” Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, said at a forum on Dec. 29. “South Korea is at a crossroads in broader regional dynamics that are shaping the balance of power throughout Northeast Asia.”
Experts expect Mr. Ri to seek Beijing’s help in fostering dialogue with North Korea, as China remains North Korea’s main ally and economic lifeline.
North Korea dismissed Lee’s efforts last year, calling him a “hypocrite” and a “confrontational maniac.”
Meanwhile, China and North Korea continue to cooperate closely, with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appearing alongside President Xi at a large-scale military parade in September.
trade and culture
Lee’s visit will also focus on cooperation in critical minerals, supply chains and green industries, his office said.
Nearly half of South Korea’s rare earth minerals, which are essential for semiconductor manufacturing, come from China. This trading partner accounts for a third of Seoul’s annual chip exports, its largest market.
Last month, officials from both countries agreed to work towards a stable supply of rare earths. The visit may also explore partnerships in AI and advanced technologies.
Huawei Korea CEO Varian Wang said at a press conference last month that Huawei Technologies plans to launch its Ascend 950 AI chip in South Korea next year, giving the Korean company an alternative to U.S.-based Nvidia.
Another potential topic is the Chinese government’s de facto ban on K-pop content dating back to 2017 after the deployment of the US THAAD missile defense system to South Korea.
According to local media, the CEO of SM Entertainment, which heads one of the country’s leading K-pop agencies, will join Lee’s business delegation.
