South Korea’s Lee Arrives in China Amid Rising Regional Tensions | Today News

South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung has arrived in Beijing for his first China trip since taking office, as Seoul looks to steady ties with a key economic partner at a time of rising regional tensions.

Lee landed in the Chinese capital on Sunday, kicking off a four-day trip that will include a meeting with President Xi Jinping on Monday and a visit to Shanghai. Lee is the first sitting South Korean president to travel to China since 2019.

The visit comes two months after Xi made his first trip to South Korea in 11 years, where he emphasized the need for peace and stability in the region and pledged deeper cooperation with Seoul. Their talks on Monday are expected to cover trade, economic ties and security issues.

Lee’s trip also comes at a delicate moment for regional diplomacy. Relations between China and Japan have deteriorated sharply and tensions over Taiwan continue to simmer. That’s giving Seoul added incentive to position itself as a potential mediator, even as it seeks to avoid being drawn into escalating rivalries among major powers.

North Korea’s latest ballistic missile launch, which traveled about 900 kilometers into waters off its eastern coast, came just hours before Lee arrived in Beijing for talks with Chinese leaders about regional security and stability. The provocations coincided with heightened global tensions after the US captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a raid, underscoring the high-stakes backdrop for Monday’s summit.

Ahead of the visit, Lee’s security chief Wi Sung-lac said South Korea will maintain a consistent position on issues related to Taiwan and respect the One-China policy. He added that Seoul will urge Beijing to play a constructive role in promoting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. China remains one of North Korea’s most important economic backers.

China’s strained relationship with Japan could make Beijing more receptive to deeper engagement with other countries. South Korea is an important trade and technology partner, and keeping economic channels open would become more valuable if China faces further pressure from Japan and the US over supply chains.

A group of top South Korean business leaders is accompanying Lee on the trip. Yonhap News previously named Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Jay Y. Lee, SK Group’s Chey Tae-won and Hyundai Motor Group’s Euisun Chung.

Korean firms have faced tougher competition in China and lingering fallout from a dispute over Seoul’s deployment of a US missile defense system. Tensions rose recently when Beijing sanctioned the US units of Hanwha Ocean Co. over its investment plans in America, though those measures were later put on hold.

What Bloomberg Economics Says...

“Markets will look for three things: concrete steps to narrow South Korea’s structural trade deficit with China — such as better access to China’s high-tech and service markets, plus more stable critical-mineral supplies; management of flash points — including maritime disputes, North Korea and Taiwan — that inflate the won’s geopolitical risk premium; and any potential negative response from Washington.”

— Hyosung Kwon and Adam Farrar. To read the analysis, click here.

Cultural exchanges also remain constrained. China has largely barred concerts and television appearances by South Korean artists since 2016 in retaliation for the deployment of the US Thaad missile defense system. Wi said South Korea will seek to restore exchanges in a gradual and phased manner.

Since taking office in June 2025, Lee has signaled a more balanced foreign policy approach than his predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol, who favored closer ties with Washington.

Still, South Korea’s status as a US ally limits how far it can move toward China. Seoul is also working to stabilize its ties with Tokyo, making it cautious about appearing to take advantage of Japan’s tensions with Beijing.

Lee’s visit will include a business forum in Beijing on Monday, a meeting with Premier Li Qiang and a stop in Shanghai on Jan. 6-7, where Lee is set to visit the site of the Korean provisional government building.

With assistance from Cat Barton, Alfred Liu and Tian Ying.

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