BEIJING: South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung arrived in China on Sunday, eager to boost economic ties with Seoul’s largest trading partner while keeping a lid on potentially explosive issues such as Taiwan.
Lee is the first South Korean leader to visit Beijing in six years and his four-day trip comes less than a week after China carried out massive military drills around Taiwan, the self-ruled island it claims as part of its territory.
The exercise, featuring missiles, fighter jets, navy ships and coast guard vessels, drew a chorus of international condemnation that Seoul has notably declined to join.
Lee, accompanied by a delegation of business and tech leaders, hopes to expand economic cooperation in meetings with President Xi Jinping and other top officials.
And he hopes to possibly harness China’s clout over North Korea to support his bid to improve ties with Pyongyang.
