South Korea’s Lee to visit China to restore relations
Experts note that Lee is seeking assurances from China that it will not leverage economic ties for political pressure, especially amid rising tensions between Beijing and Tokyo over Taiwan.
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi recently suggested Tokyo could exercise self-defense in the event of a Chinese attack on Taiwan, prompting sharper rhetoric from China. Seoul, as a US ally, finds itself navigating a delicate position in this dispute.
During his visit, Lee will attend a banquet hosted by Xi, meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang and parliament chairman Zhao Leji, before continuing to Shanghai. Speaking to Korean residents in Beijing, he described the trip as “a new starting point to fill in the gaps in Korea-China relations, restore them to normal and upgrade them to a new level.” This is the first visit by a South Korean president since 2019, following a period of strained ties under former president Yoon Suk Yeol.
Observers suggest Xi is seeking support from Lee amid broader regional pressures, including China’s historical emphasis on opposition to Japan. Lee is expected to honor independence activists in Shanghai, reflecting Korea’s shared history with China against Japanese occupation.
Nevertheless, Seoul is balancing its relations with both China and Japan, with plans to visit Tokyo later this month.
Security on the Korean Peninsula is also a key topic. Lee has pursued diplomatic engagement with North Korea, but progress has been limited. Chinese cooperation remains essential in pressuring Kim Jong Un to reduce his nuclear ambitions. Earlier, South Korea’s military reported North Korean ballistic missile launches, and the North tested hypersonic missiles on Monday, signaling deterrence capabilities following the US capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Other issues between Seoul and Beijing include China’s decade-long unofficial ban on Korean pop culture, reportedly in response to South Korea’s 2016 deployment of a US missile defense system. Lee is expected to push for the lifting of these restrictions to benefit South Korea’s entertainment industry. Additionally, the buildup of Chinese maritime structures, which Beijing claims are for fish farming but which Seoul views as security threats, is likely to be addressed.
“China is a very important cooperative partner in moving toward peace and unification on the Korean Peninsula,” Lee said, emphasizing the strategic significance of Beijing in regional diplomacy.
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