Lead: President Lee's Beijing visit marked a "new starting point" for China-South Korea relations, with leaders committing to expanded cooperation in AI, trade and diplomatic engagement.
During South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's maiden visit to Beijing since taking office, he and Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks for the second time in just two months, signaling a strong determination on both sides to boost economic, political and social exchanges and deliver tangible benefits to people in both countries.
One of the key highlights of the meeting was the convergence in the two leaders' approaches toward stabilizing and building the bilateral relationship. Welcoming Lee at the Great Hall of the People, Xi emphasized that as friends and neighbors, China and South Korea should intensify exchanges and conduct closer communication. He pledged to work with Seoul to bolster cooperation, adhere to the principle of mutual benefit and promote a strategic cooperative partnership for people's well-being and regional stability.
Lee was equally optimistic about working with China to improve people's livelihoods and open a "new phase" in the bilateral relationship. Hoping 2026 to be the year for "full restoration" of Beijing-Seoul relations, Lee recalled that the two countries had friendly exchanges for thousands of years. He also noted their shared history of suffering the loss of sovereignty and fighting for independence in reference to Japan's militarist aggression in the early 20th century.
Describing Xi as a "visionary leader" and China as a "truly reliable neighbor," he emphasized more frequent dialogue and deeper collaboration with Beijing in high-tech sectors and artificial intelligence to unlock mutually beneficial opportunities. He reaffirmed Seoul's commitment to the one-China principle and underlined the importance of respecting each other's national interests.
Xi visited South Korea in November for the first time in 11 years, meeting Lee after the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in the South Korean city of Gyeongju. The Chinese president called for respecting each other's social systems and development paths, promoting cultural and people-to-people exchanges and increasing cooperation in emerging areas such as AI, biomedicine, green industries and the silver economy.
Speaking before South Koreans in Beijing on Sunday, Lee said the trip would serve as a "new starting point" to bridge existing gaps in Sino-South Korean relations, restore them to normal and elevate them further. This optimism would translate into a more robust strategic partnership, contributing to bilateral relations and regional prosperity and security.
At the first China-South Korea Business Forum since 2017 on Monday, Lee acknowledged that closely intertwined supply chains had long supported both countries' development. He stressed the need to unveil "new engines of growth" like AI and consumer products to strengthen and expand bilateral trade.
"The Republic of Korea and China are ships that sail on the same sea in the same direction," Lee said, cautioning that "if we rely only on inertia, we could miss important turning points." The position stood as an endorsement of Xi's proposal to view the bilateral partnership from a long-term perspective, pursue common development, properly handle differences and enhance communication to tackle global challenges.
Bilateral trade volume, according to China's General Administration of Customs, reached about $299 billion in the first 11 months of 2025. People-to-people exchanges are gathering pace as China and South Korea become popular destinations for each other's tourists. South Korea's trade ministry announced nine memorandums of understanding between Chinese and Korean companies in such areas as consumer goods, content production and supply chain management. These agreements signal growing resilience and diversification in Beijing-Seoul cooperation.
For instance, South Korea's retail conglomerate Shinsegae signed a deal with China's e-commerce giant Alibaba to support the former's overseas sales. The initiative aims to export high-quality South Korean goods through the latter's platforms to South Asia and southern Europe, including Spain and Portugal, extending afterward to China and eventually to more than 200 countries and regions. The collaboration will further allow South Korean shopping site Gmarket to move beyond its domestic market and compete globally, enabling even small sellers to reach customers abroad by leveraging Alibaba's AI tools.
Three other MOUs were signed between Korean companies — fish cake maker Samjinfood, agriculture technology firm Farmstaff and biotech company PharmaResearch — and their respective Chinese counterparts. The deals aim to boost Beijing's imports from Seoul. They also meet Lee's aspiration to make AI and consumer goods new pillars of the reinvigorated bilateral relationship while revealing Beijing's willingness to open its vast domestic market for South Korean companies.
Following the leaders' summit, Xi and Lee witnessed the signing of 15 cooperation documents covering science and technology, the economy and trade, transportation, and environmental protection. While these MOUs reflect the two leaders' vision to support each other's development, they underscore how sustained top-level political engagement can lead to substantial opportunities for both countries and their peoples.
The global geopolitical environment is becoming increasingly turbulent, driven by rising protectionism and a resurgence of unilateral military actions. This volatility is illustrated by the U.S. global tariff war and recent invasion of Venezuela, including the widely condemned abduction of President Nicolas Maduro.
Such an act of unparalleled aggression — which violates the territorial integrity of an independent nation, the U.N. Charter and established international norms — will deepen the sense of insecurity among states, particularly those wary of U.S. military intervention. It also risks fueling arms races in multiple regions and accelerating the push for nuclear capability rather than denuclearization and nonproliferation.
In the face of intensifying economic and security challenges, China and South Korea need to strengthen their exchanges and cooperation while resolving differences through dialogue and consultation. They must also assume greater responsibilities to safeguard their own economies as well as promote global development and regional peace, including working together for long-term stability in Northeast Asia. Both countries have a shared legacy of resisting Japanese militarism and benefiting from economic globalization. By aligning their development strategies, strengthening strategic coordination and making the right policy decisions, Beijing and Seoul can jointly oppose protectionism, uphold multilateralism and contribute to building a more equitable, accountable and multipolar world.
Lee has expressed confidence that strategic cooperation between Beijing and Seoul will become an "irreversible trend," indicating his determination to build China-South Korea relations on a solid and lasting foundation. This approach is crucial for deepening political trust, improving people's livelihoods, promoting trade and investment, and cementing industrial and supply chain collaboration.
Snapping family selfies with Xi using a Xiaomi smartphone his Chinese counterpart gifted him, Lee demonstrated the personal warmth now characterizing Beijing-Seoul relations. Both leaders' commitment to more frequent communication and deeper cooperation positions the Beijing-Seoul relationship as a stabilizing force for the region amid global uncertainty.
In short, the visit and its outcomes will have positive impact on bilateral ties and regional and global peace and stability if both sides can effectively manage various interferences and distractions, especially pressure from the other side of the Pacific.
*My article first appeared in China Diplomacy in the New Era