South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has called for a “new phase” in relations with China during talks with President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday.
Regional security and the possible lifting of Beijing’s unofficial ban on South Korean pop culture are high on Lee’s agenda as he continues his four-day visit to China. He is scheduled to meet Premier Li Qiang and Zhao Leji, chairman of China’s parliament, on Tuesday.
The trip marks the first visit to China by a South Korean leader since 2019. Relations between the two countries deteriorated under Lee’s predecessor, former president Yoon Suk Yeol, who was impeached and had taken a sharply critical stance toward Beijing.
Xi, for his part, appears eager to strengthen ties with Seoul as China faces heightened diplomatic tensions with Japan.
By James Kisoo
