South Korea and China signed seven agreements, including cooperation on innovation, online crime prevention and elderly care during the meeting
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called on Chinese President Xi Jinping to help resume stalled talks with nuclear-armed North Korea.
Lee hosted Xi after an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting that highlighted the importance of renewed dialogue on the Korean Peninsula.
“I am very positive about the situation where conditions of engagement with North Korea are being formed,” Lee noted, highlighting recent high-level exchanges between Beijing and Pyongyang.
Lee called for Xi, who visited South Korea after 11 years, for closer strategic communication with China to “take advantage of these favorable conditions” to resume peace talks.
In his remarks ahead of the summit, Xi described South Korea as an “inseparable cooperation partner” and emphasized Beijing’s desire to “jointly tackle challenges” and “expand cooperation.”
Adding to the conversation related to the improved ties between South Korea and North Korea, Chinese state media later confirmed that Xi proposed mutual respect for each country’s systems and increased cooperation in technology, green industries and aging population initiatives.
The visit reflects the complex balance South Korea intends to maintain between its security alliance with the United States and its economic dependence on China.
During the meeting, both countries agreed on “seven” deals, including a won-yuan currency swap and agreements on innovation, online crime prevention and elderly care.
Previously, North Korea refused to engage with Seoul by quickly rejecting its denuclearization plan. Despite having strong ties to China and Russia, North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un maintained the stance that “dialogue with the South is off the table.”
