Seoul and Beijing are trying to definitively end the period of cold relations. On Sunday, President I Jae-myong will leave for his first state visit to China since 2017 to negotiate with Xi Jinping on the renewal of the strategic partnership.
South Korean President Yi Jae-myong will visit China on Sunday, where he will meet with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping. The visit will last until Wednesday. The leaders are expected to discuss the possibilities of strengthening strategic cooperation and bilateral economic relations. On Tuesday, the office of the South Korean president informed about it, TASR writes, according to AFP and Jonhap agencies.
- The President of South Korea will visit China and meet with the Chinese President.
- The meeting aims to renew the strategic bilateral partnership.
- Discussions will include topics such as economic cooperation and international issues.
The goal is to renew the strategic partnership
The leaders last met in November during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Kwangju, South Korea.
This is Iho’s first visit to China since taking office in June and the first state visit to China by a South Korean president since 2017. According to a spokeswoman for the South Korean presidential office, the meeting should build on the momentum towards the complete restoration of the “strategic partnership” between the two countries.
“They are expected to discuss ways to achieve tangible results that will directly benefit the people of both countries. In particular, cooperation on supply chain investment, the digital economy and responses to transnational crime,” the spokeswoman said at a press conference.
Meeting in Beijing
The presidents of both countries will meet in Beijing. Jae-myong will then visit Shanghai on Tuesday and return to his homeland the following day, the office added.
Jae-myong also pledged to pursue stable relations with China – South Korea’s largest trading partner and North Korea’s key economic supporter. Seoul also called on Beijing to play a constructive role in creating the conditions for resuming dialogue with North Korea, with China reaffirming its commitment to maintaining stability on the Korean Peninsula.
Deteriorated relationships
Both countries plan to sign several memorandums of understanding during the visit, which will cover a number of areas of cooperation.
Relations with China deteriorated sharply in 2016 after Seoul agreed to deploy the US THAAD anti-missile system on its territory. Beijing responded to this decision with extensive economic retaliation.
