Chinese President Xi Jinping used his first visit to South Korea in 11 years to propose a “new chapter” in bilateral relations, urging cooperation in high-tech fields like artificial intelligence, biopharmaceuticals, and green industries.
During his summit with President Lee Jae Myung, Xi also called for collaboration on shared challenges like aging populations. The two leaders signed seven agreements, including a won-yuan currency swap and MOUs on innovation.
Xi’s focus on the economy and multilateralism stood in contrast to President Lee’s urgent focus on security. Lee’s primary goal for the summit was to enlist China’s help in restarting dialogue with nuclear-armed North Korea.
This request was met with a blunt rejection from Pyongyang, which called Lee’s denuclearisation plan a “pipe dream.” Furthermore, Chinese state media reports on the summit did not mention the North Korea discussions at all.
The summit also addressed sensitive topics, including Chinese sanctions on a South Korean firm, the 2017 THAAD dispute, and Chinese military activity in the region, highlighting the complex balancing act Seoul must perform.