Chinese President Xi Jinping championed a new era of cooperation with South Korea during a landmark summit, calling the nation an “inseparable cooperative partner,” even as his counterpart pressed for help on the North Korean nuclear threat.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung hosted Xi in Gyeongju, appealing for China’s help to restart dialogue with Pyongyang. Lee is pushing a phased plan for denuclearisation, but North Korea immediately rejected the agenda as a “pipe dream” and reiterated it will not talk to Seoul.
Xi’s public comments and state media reports focused heavily on strengthening bilateral ties. He called for upholding multilateralism and boosting cooperation in high-tech fields like artificial intelligence and biopharmaceuticals, as well as addressing shared challenges like aging populations.
While a South Korean official said China agreed to cooperate for peace, Chinese media reports notably omitted any reference to the North Korea discussions. Both sides did agree that direct talks between the U.S. and North Korea were the most critical element for progress.
The visit, Xi’s first in 11 years, also highlighted frictions. Lee raised concerns over Chinese sanctions on a South Korean firm, restrictions on cultural exports dating back to the THAAD missile system deployment, and Chinese military activity in the region. Simultaneously, anti-China protests took place in Seoul.