South Korean President Lee Jae-myung made his first official visit to China in six years, aiming to restore relations to a "new era" after the previous leader Yoon Suk-yeol's tenure saw relations plunge. Xi Jinping welcomed him warmly, hoping to draw South Korea as an ally to counterbalance Japan's power. Meanwhile, netizens watched a historic moment as the two leaders happily took a selfie using a Chinese smartphone brand.
On Monday, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung began a four-day mission to China, meeting with President Xi Jinping. This marked the first visit by a South Korean leader to China since 2019, with the key goal of revitalizing relations across all dimensions—security, economy, and culture.
The meeting atmosphere was warm. President Lee Jae-myung took a selfie with President Xi Jinping using a Xiaomi phone, a model that the Chinese leader had gifted him last year. Lee posted the photo on platform X, commenting, "The picture quality is really good, isn't it?" This was seen as a conciliatory gesture to ease tensions between the two countries.
President Xi Jinping emphasized their shared history of resisting Japanese militarism and urged South Korea to "stand on the right side of history," amid rising tensions between China and Japan, especially after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested the possibility of deploying Self-Defense Forces to assist Taiwan if China attacks.
Analysts see China trying to pull South Korea, a U.S. ally, away from Japan. However, President Lee must still "walk a diplomatic tightrope," as he plans to visit Japan to meet Prime Minister Takaichi later this month.
Beyond technology and trade agreements, President Lee pushed two main issues: "soft power" and security. He called on China to lift the informal, decades-long restrictions on Korean entertainment, allowing K-pop and Korean series to return to the Chinese market. Both sides agreed to "gradually expand cultural exchanges."
Regarding Korean Peninsula security, South Korea sought China's cooperation to pressure North Korea to halt its nuclear program, following North Korea's recent hypersonic missile test on Monday, which was a response to the U.S. arresting the Venezuelan president.
Despite apparent improvements, deep conflicts remain, especially regarding the U.S. military presence in South Korea and joint plans to build nuclear-powered submarines, which China views as threats. Disputes over construction in overlapping maritime areas also persist. The leaders agreed to pursue "constructive dialogue" to find solutions.
Before departing, President Lee described the visit as a "new beginning" to mend rifts and elevate South Korea-China relations to a higher level.
. . .BBC