Gyeongju: Chinese President Xi Jinping will embark on a three-day state visit to South Korea next week to participate in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. This marks his first visit to South Korea in over a decade, since his last state visit in July 2014. Xi's visit will take him to the city of Gyeongju, which is hosting this year's APEC meeting.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the visit was confirmed by China's foreign ministry spokesperson. The announcement aligns with Seoul's earlier disclosure that both Xi and U.S. President Donald Trump would attend the APEC meetings in Korea. The White House also stated that Trump is scheduled to meet both Xi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung for bilateral discussions.
The meetings between Trump and Xi are anticipated to address ongoing trade tensions between the U.S. and China. South Korea's National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac noted that President Lee will engage in summit talks with Trump on October 29 and with Xi on November 1, marking the first direct discussions between Lee and Xi.
South Korea aims to manage its relationships with both China and the U.S. amidst escalating geopolitical rivalry. President Lee is expected to use the opportunity to strengthen ties with China and encourage Beijing to support Korea's peace initiatives, particularly in easing tensions with North Korea.
Discussions between Lee and Xi may also cover other bilateral issues, such as disputes over Chinese steel structures in shared maritime areas and China's ongoing unofficial ban on Korean cultural exports, which dates back to 2016. The ban was reportedly a response to South Korea's deployment of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile system.