Lee set for summit talks with China's Xi
BEIJING, Jan. 5 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung was set to hold summit talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday, with the leaders expected to discuss coordination on North Korea, as well as ways to expand economic ties and cultural exchanges.
The talks come about two months after the leaders met on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju in early November, when Xi visited South Korea for the first time in 11 years.
He arrived in Beijing on Sunday for a four-day state visit to China, just hours after North Korea fired unidentified ballistic missiles toward the East Sea, marking its first test of weapons this year.
The visit marks Lee's first to China since taking office in June last year and the first trip by a South Korean president there since 2019.
It comes as South Korea seeks to stably manage its relations with China, a key partner in trade, tourism and peace efforts on the Korean Peninsula, while also maintaining a strong alliance with the United States under the Lee administration's "pragmatic" diplomatic approach.
During the meeting, Lee is expected to ask for China's support in improving strained ties with Pyongyang and making progress in the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, which is high on his administration's foreign policy agenda.
Ahead of the summit, Lee is scheduled to attend a Korea-China economic forum in Beijing to discuss expanding cooperation in artificial intelligence, green energy, supply chains and tourism, among other areas.
A large business delegation, including Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, will attend the forum.
The two sides are expected to sign more than 10 memorandums of understanding for cooperation in various areas, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said.
Cultural exchanges will be another key topic as Seoul hopes to widen access for Korean content in China, which has faced unofficial restrictions since South Korea deployed a U.S. missile defense system in 2017.
Sensitive issues are also likely to be raised, including China's construction of steel structures in the overlapping sea zone in the Yellow Sea, which Seoul sees as potentially laying the groundwork for territorial claims.
With tensions high over Taiwan following China's large-scale military drills near the island last week, Lee is expected to face pressure to clarify Seoul's position over the issue, which Beijing considers a core national interest.
In an interview with Chinese state broadcaster CCTV on Friday, Lee reaffirmed that South Korea's stance on respecting the "One China" policy remains unchanged.
ejkim@yna.co.kr
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