Regarding the Korea-China summit held on the 5th, Chinese state media issued an assessment to the effect that it marked a new starting point for practical cooperation. Although state media did not announce specifically what cooperation the two countries agreed to pursue, it emphasized that Korea and China are important neighbors and that a large economic delegation accompanied President Lee Jae-myung's visit to China, assessing that amid a complex international landscape the two sides are "unleashing greater cooperation potential."

President Lee Jae-myung and Chinese President Xi Jinping pose for a commemorative photo with a Xiaomi smartphone gifted during the Gyeongju summit in November last year after concluding the state banquet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on the 5th. /Courtesy of News1

According to the Blue House and China's state-run Xinhua News Agency, President Lee Jae-myung and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a 90-minute meeting the previous day. That was 30 minutes longer than scheduled, and from the official welcome ceremony to the state banquet, the two leaders spent more than four hours together. On the day, a signing ceremony for 14 memorandums of understanding (MOUs) took place, and the two countries pledged technological cooperation and economic and trade cooperation and discussed peace on the Korean Peninsula, structures in the West Sea, and expanding cultural exchanges. The two leaders also formed a consensus to meet every year.

Regarding the summit, the Global Times, in an editorial that day, emphasized that the two countries are "neighbors that cannot be moved" and noted the importance of communication and exchanges. The editorial said, "Neighbors ought to visit one another frequently. The two countries are currently implementing short-term visa-free policies for each other's nationals. In Korea, weekend trips to Shanghai are booming, and Chinese games such as 'Genshin Impact,' 'Mingchao,' and 'Where Winds Meet' are hugely popular." It continued, "The smooth advancement of phase two negotiations on the Korea-China free trade agreement (FTA), dialogue and consultation on regional issues, and mutual consideration for core interests are also consolidating the mutual trust foundation of 'frequent communication.'"

As for the pledge of economic and trade cooperation between the two countries, it viewed as significant the fact that a large economic delegation accompanied the president's trip to China. It added, "After the talks, the two leaders witnessed the signing of MOUs, which has elevated mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries to new breadth and depth. This clearly shows that not only has the complementary economic structure between the two countries not changed, but in fact is unleashing even greater cooperation potential in a new era context." The editorial continued, "A stable bilateral relationship is not only favorable for corporate management and market expectations but also has a direct impact on regional growth and the outlook for global economic recovery. The fact that Korea's corporations placed great importance on this visit to China accurately shows that advancing Korea-China relations along a healthy track is a rational and practical inevitable choice for both sides."

From left in the front row, Korea National Park Service Chairman Joo Dae-young, China's National Park Administration Director General Liu Guohong, Ambassador to China Noh Jae-heon, and General Administration of Customs chief Sun Meijun shake hands after signing MOUs on cooperation between national park authorities and on cooperation in import-export animal and plant quarantine at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on the 5th, attended by President Lee Jae-myung and President Xi Jinping. /Courtesy of News1

The editorial stressed that the two countries share a common history of resisting Japanese militarism and emphasized the need for solidarity based on this in future international affairs. Earlier, Xi also told the president, "We must stand firmly on the right side of history and make the right strategic choices." This can be interpreted as an indirect request to respect China's position on issues such as the ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and the China-Japan conflict over Taiwan.

The editorial said, "Both the Korean and Chinese leaders mentioned in the talks that the two countries jointly fought against the aggression of Japanese militarism in the past. During this visit, the president is scheduled to tour the former site of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in Shanghai," adding, "This shared history shows that the two sides naturally share a consensus on the significant issues of safeguarding the postwar international order and upholding historical justice." It went on, "The current international situation is becoming more entangled and chaotic, with historical remnants resurfacing in some regional countries and the environment for regional peace and development facing new challenges. The two countries both have the responsibility and capability to jointly safeguard the achievements of victory in World War II and protect peace and stability in Northeast Asia, and can provide positive momentum for global peace and development."

Meanwhile, on the third day of the visit to China, the president in the morning will meet Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's No. 3 in the state hierarchy, and then meet Premier Li Qiang, the No. 2 and the "economic commander." After concluding a luncheon with Premier Li, the president will wrap up the Beijing schedule and move to Shanghai in the afternoon. In Shanghai, the president will have dinner with Chen Jining, the city's party secretary and a figure mentioned as a candidate for the next Chinese president.

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