South Korea and China seek improved ties amid state visit

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung met with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday, saying their summit was an important opportunity for full restoration of bilateral relations.

Lee said in opening remarks that the two countries would work to further develop their strategic cooperative partnership, after tense ties in recent years over issues including North Korea and territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

He said that he wished to open a "new phase" in bilateral relations, "based on the trust" between himself and Xi.

He also pledged to "seek feasible alternatives together for peace on the Korean Peninsula," amid the continued tensions with the regime in Pyongyang, with China still an important backer of North Korea.

Xi Jinping said during their joint press conference that the two countries should address their differences through dialogues and consultations. He also said the two sides should jointly safeguard peace and stability in Northeast Asia.

"The world is currently undergoing accelerated changes unseen in a century, and the international situation is becoming more complex and turbulent," state news agency Xinhua quoted Xi as saying.

The Chinese president said that Beijing and Seoul "bear important responsibilities" in upholding peace in the region and "have broad common interests."

"They should stand firmly on the right side of history and make the right strategic choices," Xi said.

He represents the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) that tends to call for more open ties with China than the rival People Power Party (PPP) of his predecessor Yoon Suk-yeol. The more left-leaning party also tends to advocate a less confrontational approach to North Korea.

They also follow contentious Chinese military drills in the proximity of Taiwan, with South Korea refraining from joining a chorus of condemnation from Taipei and Japan.

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

Xi and Lee signed a series of memorandums of understanding for future bilateral cooperation during Monday's meeting spanning areas like technological innovation, the environment, transport and trade.

They were expected to head for an evening state banquet after signing the agreements.

Lee had traveled to China with a phalanx of business and tech leaders, seeking to deepen ties with South Korea's largest single trading partner.

Earlier on Monday, representatives of Chinese companies like battery giant CATL, phone maker ZTE and tech giant Tencent were present at an event at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing. Lee was accompanied by Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Jae-yong and Hyundai Motor group's Chung Eui-sun, among others.

On Tuesday, the visiting president is expected to meet with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, who is in charge of economic policy, and other top officials, before heading to the economic powerhouse city of Shanghai.