President Lee: "No Need for Exclusion or Confrontation Between South Korea and China... Serious Talks Held on Supply Chains"

President Lee Jae-myung Holds Press Conference in China on the 7th
"China Is an Important Neighbor in All Areas"

President Lee Jae-myung, who is on a state visit to China, is speaking at a luncheon meeting with the press corps held at a hotel in Shanghai on the 7th. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

On the final day of his state visit to China, January 7, President Lee Jae-myung emphasized, "The relationship between South Korea and China is truly one of mutual necessity," adding, "There is no need to unnecessarily provoke, exclude, or confront each other." President Lee reported that discussions during his visit focused on supply chain cooperation and regional stability issues.

President Lee made these remarks during a luncheon meeting with the accompanying press corps in Shanghai, China, on the same day. He stated, "China is a very important neighboring country to us in all areas-economy, security, and culture," and explained, "President Xi Jinping often uses expressions like 'a neighbor you cannot move away from, an inseparable relationship' whenever he sees me."

President Lee further commented, "If we make good use of the environment of trust, we can create a better environment, so I do not understand why we unnecessarily create baseless issues that spark conflict," adding, "I hope that going forward, we can truly transform our relationship into one that is mutually beneficial."

He also stated, "During the visit, we held serious and responsible discussions on stable management of economic cooperation, especially the recently problematic supply chain cooperation, as well as peace on the Korean Peninsula and regional stability," and added, "The government of the Republic of Korea intends to manage the relationship with China based on the principle of mutual respect and prioritizing each country's national interests, so that the relationship does not become lopsided or swayed by emotions."

Additionally, President Lee pledged, "At the same time, we will develop balanced relations with other major partner countries, including the United States, Japan, ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), and Europe, and thereby broaden the horizons of Korean diplomacy."

President Lee also offered his analysis that the relationship between South Korea and China has changed. He stated, "In the past, the relationship was a vertical division of labor, with our advanced technology and capital utilizing China's land and low-cost labor, but that era is now over," and added, "A horizontal and mutually beneficial cooperative relationship has truly become necessary." He continued, "It is important to achieve tangible results by competing in areas where we should compete and cooperating in areas where we can collaborate."