Lee's Visit to China Aims to Avoid Taiwan Tensions

South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung Embarks on Four-Day Visit to China

South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung arrived in China on Sunday for a four-day visit, aiming to strengthen economic ties with Seoul's largest trading partner while carefully managing sensitive issues such as Taiwan. This marks the first time a South Korean leader has visited Beijing in six years, and the trip comes just days after China conducted extensive military drills around Taiwan, a self-governed island that it claims as part of its territory.

The exercises involved missiles, fighter jets, navy ships, and coastguard vessels, drawing widespread international criticism. However, South Korea has not publicly joined the chorus of condemnation. Lee is accompanied by a delegation of business and tech leaders, hoping to expand economic cooperation during meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other top officials.

One of the key objectives of the visit is to leverage China’s influence over North Korea to support Lee’s efforts to improve relations with Pyongyang. “China is a very important cooperative partner in moving toward peace and unification on the Korean Peninsula,” Lee said during a meeting with Korean residents in Beijing, according to Yonhap news agency.

He added that the visit “would serve as a new starting point to fill in the gaps in Korea-China relations, restore them to normal and upgrade them to a new level.” The timing of the visit is significant, as Seoul's military reported that North Korea had fired a ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan hours before Lee departed for Beijing — marking the first missile test of the year.

For decades, South Korea has maintained a delicate balance between its top trading partner, China, and the United States, its primary defense guarantor. However, analysts suggest that China is now seeking to draw South Korea away from Washington’s sphere of influence. Kang Jun-young, a professor at Seoul's Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, noted that “China views South Korea as the weakest link at a time when trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the United States and Japan is strengthening.”

Lee has remained neutral since a recent diplomatic dispute between Beijing and Tokyo, which was triggered by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s suggestion that Japan could intervene militarily if China attacks Taiwan. In an interview with Chinese state broadcaster CCTV on Friday, Lee affirmed his commitment to the "one-China" principle and emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability in Northeast Asia, including the Taiwan Strait.

Trade, AI, and K-Pop: Key Focus Areas

During the visit, Lee has emphasized the need for South Korea and China to work towards “more horizontal and mutually beneficial” trade. He is bringing a large delegation of executives from some of South Korea’s most prominent companies, including Samsung — one of the world’s leading memory chip manufacturers, which produces essential components for the booming AI industry.

Hyundai Motor Group’s executive chair, Chung Eui-sun, is also part of the delegation, along with figures from the entertainment and gaming industries. A summit with Xi is planned for Monday, followed by trade talks with top officials, including Premier Li Qiang, on Tuesday, according to top South Korean adviser Wi Sung-lac.

After the meetings in Beijing, Lee will travel to Shanghai, a financial hub with a significant South Korean business community. There, he will attend a startup summit and visit the former headquarters of the Korean government-in-exile during Japanese rule.

Xi and Lee last met in November on the sidelines of a regional summit in Gyeongju, South Korea — a meeting that Seoul described as a reset following years of tense relations. Lee plans to pitch a potential role for China in his efforts to rekindle ties with North Korea, which relies heavily on Beijing as a trading partner.

Officials also hope the meetings will lead to China easing an unofficial ban on imports of South Korean pop culture, which has been in place for nearly a decade. “China's official position is that there is no such thing as a ban on Korean content, but from our perspective the situation looks somewhat different,” said Wi, the presidential adviser.