'A New Milestone for the Next 30 Years': President Lee to Hold Summit with Xi Jinping Today

First Meeting in Two Months Since Gyeongju APEC
Summit with President Xi, MOU Signing Ceremony, and State Banquet
Attendance at South Korea-China Business Forum... Expected to Emphasize Expansion of Economic Cooperation
Korean Peninsula Sit

During his state visit to China, President Lee Jaemyung will hold a summit meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on January 5, reaffirming the commitment to restoring South Korea-China relations and discussing ways to expand economic cooperation. Before the summit, President Lee plans to attend the South Korea-China Business Forum, where he will emphasize the need to strengthen economic cooperation in sectors such as manufacturing and consumer goods. At a dinner meeting with Korean residents in China on January 4, President Lee stated, "This state visit to China will serve as an important milestone to design the next 30 years for both countries, building on the 30-year history of diplomatic relations," highlighting the limitless potential for cooperation between the two nations.

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On the second day of his state visit, President Lee will participate in the South Korea-China Business Forum in the morning, where he will discuss ways to expand cooperation in manufacturing, consumer goods, and services with leading figures from both countries' business sectors. The forum will be attended by more than 200 business leaders, including Chey Taewon, Chairman of SK Group; Lee Jaeyong, Chairman of Samsung Electronics; Chung Euisun, Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group; and Koo Kwangmo, Chairman of LG Group. The participants will discuss measures to stabilize supply chains that have been disrupted by U.S.-China tensions, as well as ways to collaborate in emerging industries. In addition, together with relevant government ministries, they will pursue the signing of memorandums of understanding (MOUs) in key areas such as critical minerals, the digital economy, and eco-friendly energy.

Following this, President Lee will attend an official welcoming ceremony, a summit meeting with President Xi, an MOU signing ceremony, and a state banquet. This state visit is a reciprocal visit in response to President Xi's state visit to Korea on October 30 last year during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju. It is the first state visit to China by a South Korean president in over eight years, since former President Moon Jaein's visit in December 2017. In terms of the last visit to China, it has been more than six years since the South Korea-China-Japan summit held in Beijing in December 2019.

The Blue House announced that this summit will reaffirm the commitment to fully restore South Korea-China relations and will include in-depth discussions on practical cooperation measures. In particular, the goal is to restore strategic dialogue channels between the two countries to solidify the political foundation of their relationship, while also strengthening practical cooperation in areas that directly affect people's livelihoods based on horizontal and mutually beneficial collaboration. President Lee evaluated the full restoration of South Korea-China relations, which had been in decline for a long period, as the greatest achievement and source of pride during the meeting with Korean residents in China. He added, "Although China is now a competitor in the global market, there remain countless areas for future cooperation based on our respective comparative advantages, including renewable energy, biotechnology, and the silver industry."

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The situation on the Korean Peninsula is also expected to be a key topic. On the day of the visit, North Korea launched a ballistic missile, raising expectations that the two countries will discuss ways to strengthen communication regarding peace on the Korean Peninsula and North Korea-related issues. At the meeting with Korean residents in China, President Lee pointed out that Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing was the venue for the Six-Party Talks on the North Korean nuclear issue, stressing that "China is an indispensable partner in advancing peace and unification on the Korean Peninsula."

There is also interest in whether solutions will be proposed for the lifting of the "Korean Wave Ban," which has been in place for a decade, and for issues related to structures in the West Sea. At a press briefing on January 2, National Security Office Director Wi Seongrak stated, "Under the shared goal of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia, we will ask China to play a constructive role and strengthen strategic communication." He added, "In line with the full restoration of South Korea-China relations, we plan to manage sensitive issues stably, such as making the West Sea a sea of peace and shared prosperity and gradually restoring cultural content exchanges."