Beijing, Jan 4 (IANS) South Korean President Lee Jae Myung arrived in Beijing on Sunday for summit talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with the leaders expected to focus on North Korea, economic ties and cultural exchanges.
The four-day state visit marks Lee's first to China since taking office in June last year and the first trip by a South Korean president there since 2019.
Later in the day, Lee is scheduled to meet with Korean residents in China to collect their opinions and pledge the government's support.
Lee will hold talks with Xi on Monday, marking their second meeting in just two months after they met on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju in early November, when Xi visited South Korea for the first time in 11 years, Yonhap News Agency reported.
The visit comes as South Korea seeks to stably manage its relations with China, a key partner in trade, tourism and peace efforts on the Korean Peninsula, while also maintaining a strong alliance with the United States under the Lee administration's "pragmatic" diplomatic approach.
At the summit, Lee is expected to ask for China's support in improving strained ties with Pyongyang and making progress in the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, which is high on his administration's foreign policy agenda.
Accompanied by a large business delegation, he will also attend a Korea-China economic forum in Beijing on Monday to discuss expanding cooperation in artificial intelligence, green energy, supply chains and tourism, among other areas.
The two sides are expected to sign more than 10 memorandums of understanding for cooperation in various areas, according to his office.
Cultural exchanges will be another key topic as Seoul hopes to widen access for Korean content in China, which has faced unofficial restrictions since South Korea deployed a US missile defence system in 2017.
While Beijing does not officially acknowledge there is a ban on Korean content, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said Seoul will seek ways to boost cultural ties between the two nations.
Sensitive issues are also likely to be raised, including China's construction of steel structures in the overlapping sea zone in the Yellow Sea, which Seoul sees as potentially laying the groundwork for territorial claims.
Wi said the two sides have already held working-level talks on China's maritime structure after the issue was raised during Lee's November summit with Xi, and will continue efforts to make progress.
With tensions high over Taiwan following China's large-scale military drills near the island last week, Lee is expected to face pressure to clarify Seoul's position over the issue, which Beijing considers a core national interest.
In an interview with Chinese state broadcaster CCTV on Friday, Lee reaffirmed that South Korea's stance on respecting the "One China" policy remains unchanged.
On Tuesday, Lee is scheduled to have a luncheon meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, who is in charge of economic policy, and meet with Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislator, before flying to Shanghai later in the day.
In Shanghai, Lee plans to visit the historic site that once housed the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea during Japan's colonial rule to mark the centennial anniversary of its establishment. He will also commemorate the 150th anniversary of the birth of independence hero Kim Gu (1876-1949), who led the provisional government in Shanghai.
He is also scheduled to attend a startup event with Korean and Chinese entrepreneurs before returning home on Wednesday.
--IANS
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