Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to welcome South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on a state visit beginning Sunday, underscoring Beijing’s bid to deepen ties with Seoul at a time of heightened tensions with Japan over Taiwan.
The visit marks the second meeting between Xi and Lee in just two months, an unusually short interval that signals China’s keen interest in reinforcing ties with Seoul and boosting economic collaboration and tourism, analysts say.
Xi’s invitation to Lee for a state visit from Sunday is a calculated move aimed at deepening bilateral relations especially before the South Korean leader visits Japan, analysts say.
The pivot follows the two countries’ strained relations under Lee’s predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol, due to his closer alignment with Washington and Tokyo, as well as criticism of China’s handling of Taiwan.
U.S. Alliance And North Korea
Still, China and South Korea face complex issues as China challenges U.S., South Korea’s major ally in the region, and as nuclear-armed North Korea remains unpredictable.
China is North Korea’s major ally and economic lifeline.
U.S. officials have signalled a plan to make those U.S. forces more flexible to respond to other threats, such as defending Taiwan and checking China’s growing military reach.
Lee’s agenda with Xi includes persuading China to facilitate dialogue with North Korea, experts said.
Tech, Supply Chains And K-Pop
Lee’s visit to Beijing is expected to address cooperation in areas including critical minerals, supply chain and green industries, his office said earlier.
The visit may also foster partnerships on artificial intelligence and advanced technologies, experts said.
China’s Huawei Technologies plans to roll out the Ascend 950 AI chips in South Korea next year, aiming to provide an alternative to Nvidia for Korean firms, Huawei’s South Korea CEO Balian Wang told a press conference last month.
Beijing’s ban on K-pop since the 2017 U.S. missile defense deployment looms, with SM Entertainment’s CEO joining Lee’s business delegation, local media report.
(With inputs from Reuters)
