Beijing: President Lee Jae-myung has reached out to Chinese President Xi Jinping, urging him to take on a constructive role in the denuclearization efforts of the Korean Peninsula during their inaugural phone discussion on Tuesday, as confirmed by Lee’s office.
According to Ethiopian News Agency, President Xi responded positively, assuring President Lee that China is committed to resolving the denuclearization issue. Xi emphasized that fostering peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula aligns with the mutual interests of both South Korea and China, as stated by presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung.
The two leaders engaged in a 30-minute conversation, during which President Lee extended an invitation to President Xi to visit South Korea for the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit scheduled to take place in Gyeongju this November. Kang relayed that President Lee expressed aspirations for South Korea and China to enhance exchanges and cooperation across various domains, such as the economy, security, culture, and people-to-people relations, grounded in mutual benefit and equality.
The dialogue between Lee and Xi arrives at a time when North Korea shows little inclination towards engaging with either South Korea or the United States, as it increasingly aligns with Russia.
Xi, in his remarks, underscored the importance of elevating the strategic cooperation partnership between the two nations. He also highlighted the need for Seoul and Beijing to jointly uphold multilateralism and free trade, while ensuring the stability and efficiency of global and regional industrial supply chains.
This phone conversation marked President Lee’s first official engagement with President Xi and his third with a foreign leader, following discussions with U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. Lee’s approach to “pragmatic diplomacy” is seen as a delicate balancing act between the U.S., South Korea’s military ally, and China, its largest trading partner, amidst the intensifying rivalry between these two major powers.
The relationship between Seoul and Beijing had previously become strained after former President Yoon Suk Yeol opted to align more closely with the U.S. and strengthen trilateral ties with Japan. During his campaign, President Lee advocated for improving relations with Beijing and emphasized the importance of South Korea maintaining a neutral stance on sensitive diplomatic issues involving China and Taiwan.