Xi Jinping Visits Korea After 11 Years... Focus on Lifting the Hallyu Ban and Restoring Economic Cooperation [Gyeongju APEC]

Xi Jinping Arrives in Korea via Gimhae Airport on the Morning of the 30th
Summit with President Lee Jaemyung Scheduled for November 1
Discussions Expected on Rare Earth Supply Chains and AI Cooperation

With Chinese President Xi Jinping visiting Korea for the first time in 11 years, attention is focused on what diplomatic "gifts" he may bring to the Korea-China summit with President Lee Jaemyung, who has emphasized "pragmatic diplomacy," scheduled for November 1. There is keen interest in whether this meeting will reverse the current chill in Korea-China relations, which has persisted since the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system on the Korean Peninsula in 2016.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, who visited Korea as a state guest to attend the APEC Summit in Gyeongju, arrived at Busan Gimhae International Airport on the 30th and is seen disembarking from his private plane. Photo by Yonhap News

First Visit in 11 Years...Starting with the "Summit of the Century"

On the morning of the 30th, President Xi departed Beijing on a special flight and arrived at Gimhae International Airport at approximately 10:28 a.m. Wearing a black coat, he exited his private plane at around 10:48 a.m., descending the stairs with one hand on the railing and without any special gestures. He was welcomed as a state guest by Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Ambassador to China Noh Jaeheon. According to Xinhua News Agency, President Xi was accompanied by Cai Qi, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and Vice Premier He Lifeng.

After completing the official welcoming ceremony, which included a 21-gun salute and a military band performance, President Xi moved to "Naraemaru," the protocol lounge at Gimhae Airport. His first official engagement in Korea was a Korea-U.S. summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. Earlier that morning, at around 9:30 a.m., President Trump left his accommodation at the Gyeongju Hilton Hotel, boarded his official limousine "The Beast," and traveled about 700 to 800 meters to the helipad. He then boarded the presidential helicopter "Marine One" and headed to Gimhae Airport.

Korea-China Summit on the 1st...Will the "Korean Wave Ban" Be Lifted?

One of the key topics at this summit is whether China will lift the "Korean Wave Ban" (Hallyu Ban). Since the THAAD dispute in 2016, China has officially denied any such policy, but has nonetheless restricted the consumption of Korean content and products.

Given the intensifying U.S.-China trade war, economic issues are also expected to be a major part of the agenda. Notable topics include measures to stabilize supply chains for key raw materials such as rare earth elements, and the early conclusion of the second phase of the Korea-China Free Trade Agreement (FTA). In addition, cooperation in high-tech sectors such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI) is also expected to be discussed.

Other measures to expand bilateral exchanges are also likely to be on the table. These include whether to extend the visa waiver program currently in place to promote tourism and exchanges between the two countries, and the lifting of restrictions on Korean Wave content imposed by the Hallyu Ban. In particular, the establishment of a joint response system to address online scams and kidnapping and confinement issues-which have recently become problems in countries such as Myanmar and Cambodia-may also emerge as an agenda item at the summit.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, who visited Korea as a state guest to attend the Gyeongju APEC Summit, arrived at Busan Gimhae International Airport on the 30th and is being guided by Foreign Minister Cho Hyun. Photo by Yonhap News

However, there are also a number of sensitive issues for both sides. For China, these include North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, the issue of illegal structures in the West Sea, and the sanctions on Hanwha Ocean's U.S. subsidiary. For Korea, a key issue is the expression of positions regarding cross-strait relations. The agreement reached the previous day between President Lee and President Trump on the introduction of nuclear submarines could also become a "wildcard" in the Korea-China summit. China has previously shown sensitive reactions to the introduction of nuclear submarines by neighboring countries.

Yoo Yongwon, a member of the National Assembly from the People Power Party and a former military journalist, appeared on YTN the previous day and commented, "The president mentioned that allowing nuclear submarines would reduce the burden on U.S. forces, given that there are restrictions on tracking Chinese submarines. If this had been discussed privately in consideration of the Korea-China summit, it might have been better."