5 months ago
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South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is acceptable to statesman his sojourn to China connected Sunday (January 4, 2026) arsenic Beijing looks to deepen ties with the state aft heightened tensions betwixt China and Japan implicit Taiwan, a self-ruled land it claims arsenic its sovereign territory.
Mr. Lee's four-day travel is his archetypal sojourn to China since taking bureau successful June. It comes astatine a clip of heightened tensions betwixt China and Japan, aft Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi successful November said that her country's subject could get progressive if China were to instrumentality enactment against Taiwan.
During his stay, Mr. Lee volition conscionable with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, their 2nd gathering successful conscionable 2 months.
Lee signals committedness to China's ties
Ahead of his trip, Mr. Lee gave an interrogation to China's authorities broadcaster CCTV astatine Seoul's Cheong Wa Dae, the statesmanlike bureau besides known arsenic the Blue House. Mr. Lee was quoted arsenic saying that it was his archetypal interrogation held successful the statesmanlike palace and that helium hoped radical would recognize that his authorities cares astir the relations betwixt Beijing and Seoul.
In the interview, helium assured that South Korea consistently respects the “One-China” argumentation erstwhile it comes to Taiwan, CCTV reported connected Friday. He said the steadfast improvement of Beijing-Seoul relations depends connected communal respect. Mr. Lee besides praised Mr. Xi arsenic a “truly reliable neighbour."
Last week, China staged large-scale subject drills astir the land for 2 days to pass against separatist and “external interference” forces. At that time, the Chinese Foreign Ministry accused Taiwan's ruling enactment of trying to question independency done requesting U.S. support.
The U.S. planned large-scale arms income to Taiwan angered Beijing successful December, starring to China sanctioning 20 U.S. defence-related companies.
Mr. Lee said Seoul's practice with the U.S., its subject ally, does not mean South Korea-China relations should determination toward confrontation, CCTV reported. He acknowledged that past misunderstandings betwixt his state and China had hindered bilateral relations.
“This sojourn to China aims to minimise oregon destruct these past misunderstandings oregon contradictions, to elevate and make South Korea-China relations to a caller stage,” CCTV quoted him arsenic saying.
To sermon the Korean Peninsula and fortify economical ties
South Korea and the U.S. person urged China, North Korea's accepted state and economical pipeline, to usage its power connected its socialist neighbour to person it to instrumentality to talks oregon wantonness its atomic programme.
But China has agelong been suspected of avoiding afloat implementing UN sanctions connected North Korea and sending clandestine assistance shipments to assistance the North enactment afloat and proceed to service arsenic a bulwark against US power connected the Korean Peninsula.
Mr. Lee's sojourn is meant to fortify bilateral ties and sermon ways to reconstruct bid connected the Korean Peninsula, South Korean officials said.
During Monday's (January 5, 2026) summit, Mr. Lee and Mr. Xi are to clasp “in-depth talks connected substantive ways” to code information and economical issues facing the 2 countries, South Korea's nationalist information advisor Wi Sung-lac told a briefing Friday. On Tuesday (January 6, 2026), Mr. Lee is to conscionable Zhao Leji, president of the National People's Congress, and Premier Li Qiang, Mr. Wi said.
During Mr. Lee's trip, South Korea volition besides petition that China play “a constructive role” successful efforts to beforehand bid connected the Korean Peninsula, Mr. Wi said. In their November talks, Mr. Lee already asked Mr. Xi to marque greater efforts to transportation North Korea to instrumentality to talks.
South Korea would propulsion for important achievements that could straight payment mean citizens successful some countries too, Mr. Wi said.
