Lee heads to China for second summit with Xi

Dec 31, 2025, 08:20 am

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Yonhap / Graphic image by Park Jong-gyu

President Lee Jae-myung will make a four-day state visit to China from Jan. 4 to 7, holding his second summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the presidential office said Tuesday.

Presidential spokesperson Kang Yoo-jung told a briefing at the Chunchugwan press center that Lee will stay in Beijing from Jan. 4 to 6 for a summit meeting, a state banquet and other official events with Xi, before traveling to Shanghai from Jan. 6 to 7.

During the visit, the two leaders are expected to meet again about two months after their talks on the sidelines of the Gyeongju APEC summit and to solidify efforts to fully restore the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between South Korea and China. Discussions will focus on delivering tangible outcomes for the public, including supply chain investment, the digital economy and cooperation on addressing transnational crime and environmental challenges, the spokesperson said.

In Shanghai, Lee is scheduled to attend events marking the 150th anniversary of independence leader Kim Gu’s birth in 2026 and the 100th anniversary of the Shanghai municipal government. The agenda will also include measures to promote partnerships between companies in future-oriented sectors, such as venture startups, to lead bilateral cooperation.

The trip will be Lee’s first visit to China since taking office and his second meeting with Xi, following their first talks held on Nov. 1 during the APEC summit in Gyeongju.

Kang said details regarding the size and roster of the accompanying economic delegation will be announced later, adding that multiple memorandums of understanding between relevant ministries are expected to be signed on the occasion of the state visit.

According to business circles, the delegation will include some 200 business leaders, among them Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun and LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, as well as heads of other major conglomerates.

Asked why China was chosen as the first overseas destination of the new year, Kang said the visit was arranged as a reciprocal exchange following mutual state invitations extended during the APEC summit, noting that Lee had expressed his desire to visit China at an early date.

Regarding possible cultural events such as a K-pop concert, Kang said no official schedule had been announced and that detailed arrangements are still being coordinated with the Chinese side.

#Lee Jae-myung #Xi Jinping #China state visit #South Korea China summit #Beijing