China’s Xi to host South Korean president on state visit
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung will visit China Sunday for a summit with Xi Jinping to discuss economic ties and Korean Peninsula peace, marking the first such trip since 2019.
- Asia
- Anadolu Agency
- Published Date: 07:56 | 02 January 2026
South Korea announced Friday that President Lee Jae Myung will make a state visit to China, where he will meet with President Xi Jinping, local media reported.
National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said Lee will arrive in Beijing on Sunday, hold a summit with Xi on Monday, and then travel to Shanghai on Tuesday for a two-day stay, Yonhap News Agency reported.
Ahead of the visit, Wi said that Seoul "respects the one-China policy and acts in accordance with that position."
During his meeting with Xi, Lee is expected to discuss economic cooperation and peace efforts on the Korean Peninsula and will seek Beijing's role in creating "a breakthrough in resolving issues on the Korean Peninsula," said the report.
Lee will become the first sitting South Korean president to travel to China since 2019.
His trip comes after Xi paid a three-day state visit to South Korea from Oct. 30 to Nov. 1, where he also attended the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju.
It was Xi's first trip to South Korea in 11 years.
China and South Korea formally established diplomatic relations in August 1992. The trade volume between the two countries reached $267.6 billion in 2024.