South Korean President Lee to visit Beijing for pivotal 2nd summit with Xi

In response to regional turbulence, Chinese President Xi Jinping has invited South Korean President Lee Jae Myung to a state visit to Beijing.

Wi Sung-lac, South Korea’s national security adviser, announced to reporters on Friday that Lee would meet with Xi in Beijing on Monday before visiting Shanghai, home to the country’s historic site during Japan’s 35-year colonial rule.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Wi stated that the leaders are expected to discuss “practical cooperation” in areas like supply-chain investment, tourism, and transnational crime.

Lee is anticipated to persuade China to play a “constructive” role in achieving “a breakthrough in resolving issues on the Korean Peninsula,” Wi continued.

In what analysts have described as an unusually brief period of time between Xi and Lee, which shows Beijing’s desire to strengthen ties before the leaders of South Korea and Japan meet again in what analysts have described as an unusually short time.

After Sanae Takaichi, the country’s prime minister, suggested in November that a fabled Chinese attack on Taiwan might prompt Tokyo to launch a military response, relations between China and Japan are still fragile.

Wi reiterated South Korea’s position on Taiwan on Friday, saying that it “respects the one China policy and acts in accordance with that position.” Taiwan’s status as a sovereign island is acknowledged by Beijing, which also allows for ad hoc relations with the self-governing island.

China wants to put a little more emphasis on South Korea’s importance than it has before, according to Professor Kang Jun-young of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.

According to Yang, “China appears to have strategically decided it would be better to have Lee] visit China before a summit with Japan again.”

The Lee administration, for its part, has emphasized its desire to “restore” ties with China, which continues to be South Korea’s largest trading partner. It also asserts that Lee’s “practical diplomacy” aims to maintain strong ties with Japan and the United States, South Korea’s most important allies.

Seoul’s relationship to Washington and Tokyo was bolstered by Yoon Suk Yeol’s predecessor, Lee, and by criticism of China’s position on Taiwan.

Lee, in contrast, has stated that he will not support China and Japan in the Taiwan Strait’s conflict, which he maintains as China’s military exercises near Taiwan have recently increased.

regional strategy, and security alliances

According to Shin Beom-chul, a former South Korean vice-defence minister and senior research fellow at the Sejong Institute, the two leaders may also address contentious issues like efforts to modernize the South Korea-US alliance, which some believe will counterbalance China’s standing in the Asia Pacific region.

To deter threats from North Korea, roughly 28,500 US troops are stationed in South Korea right now. In response to other regional challenges, such as Taiwan and China’s expanding military presence, US officials have indicated plans to expand their capabilities.

At a forum on December 29th, US Forces Korea commander General Xavier Brunson stated that “Korea is not simply responding to threats on the peninsula.” The balance of power in Northeast Asia is shaped by broader regional dynamics that are at the crossroads.

Experts anticipate Lee to approach Beijing to encourage dialogue with Pyongyang because China continues to be North Korea’s primary ally and economic lifeline.

Lee’s outreach was called a “hypocrite” and “confrontational maniac” by North Korea last year.

Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, and Xi, the leader of North Korea, have both shown up in a significant military parade in September, which has fueled further co-operation between China and North Korea.

Culture and trade

According to his office, Lee’s visit is expected to concentrate on cooperating in crucial minerals, supply chains, and green industries.

The majority of South Korea’s rare earth minerals, which are essential for semiconductor production, are produced in China. The largest market for Seoul’s annual chip exports, which is a third of that country’s.

Officials from both nations came together last month to work toward stable rare earth supplies. Additionally, the visit might look into AI and advanced technology partnerships.

According to Balian Wang, the CEO of Huawei’s South Korea, at a press conference last month, the company plans to launch its Ascend 950 AI chips in South Korea in the following year. This will provide a competitor to US-based Nvidia for Korean businesses.

Following the deployment of the US’s THAAD missile defense system in South Korea, Beijing’s effective ban on K-pop content dates back to 2017.

Source: Aljazeera