Lee invites Xi to APEC summit as both vow to forge 'new ties'
Leaders agree to improve mutual sentiment by expanding people-to-people exchanges
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has formally invited Chinese leader Xi Jinping to attend this year's APEC summit in South Korea, as both leaders pledged to chart a new course in bilateral relations, the presidential office in Seoul said Tuesday.
Lee and Xi agreed on the need for close cooperation during their 30-minute first phone call, which began at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, six days after Lee's inauguration on June 4, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said during a televised press briefing.
"The two leaders agreed to maintain close communication across various fields to forge new Korea–China relations, taking the inauguration of the new Korean administration as an opportunity," Kang said.
The introductory phone call came at a critical juncture as this year holds particular significance for Seoul-Beijing ties, with expectations rising for Xi's first visit to South Korea since July 2014, on the occasion of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
South Korea will host the APEC summit in early November in the city of Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, while China will host the summit next year.
"The two leaders also agreed on the need for close cooperation between Korea and China — this year's and next year's respective APEC hosts — to ensure the successful hosting of the APEC summit in Gyeongju," Kang said.
"President Lee invited President Xi to the APEC summit in Gyeongju this November, expressing his hope for closer consultations with President Xi to further advance bilateral relations," Kang added.
The phone call also touched upon China's role in resolving the nuclear issue.
Kang explained: "Lee asked China to play a constructive role in achieving denuclearization and peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula."
"In response, President Xi stated that peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula are in the common interest of both (South) Korea and China, and that China will make efforts to help resolve the issue and promote peace and stability on the peninsula," Kang told the briefing.
Another key topic of discussion was improving Seoul–Beijing ties across the board, including addressing the strained public sentiment between the two countries.
Kang also underscored that the two leaders 'pledged to work together to deliver tangible results in practical areas such as economic cooperation — outcomes that the people of both countries can genuinely experience.'
The two leaders 'agreed to strengthen mutual communication and expand people-to-people and cultural exchanges to enhance friendly sentiment between their citizens,' Kang added.
Lee expressed his hopes for "pursuing active exchanges and cooperation across a wide range of fields — including the economy, security, culture, and people-to-people exchanges — on the basis of mutual benefit and equality," according to Kang.
Kang further explained that the phone call was 'conducted in a cordial and amicable atmosphere,' based on the commonality that both Lee and Xi began their political careers at the local level.
According to an announcement from the Chinese government, Xi called for 'promoting the China–South Korea strategic cooperative partnership to a higher level' during the phone call, repeatedly emphasizing the importance of developing ties between Seoul and Beijing.
Xi also stressed the need to 'deepen people-to-people exchanges to increase mutual understanding and consolidate the foundation of public support,' as well as to 'strengthen exchanges at all levels and in all fields to enhance strategic mutual trust,' Beijing added.
China has implemented a visa-free policy for South Korean passport holders, effective from November of last year until the end of this year, to promote people-to-people exchanges. Under this policy, South Korean nationals entering China for business, tourism, family visits, or transit can stay without a visa for up to 15 days.
The sequence of Lee's phone calls with the leaders of the US, China, and Japan has drawn close attention — particularly regarding whether he would speak with Xi or Ishiba first.
Xi is the third leader with whom Lee has held a phone call since his inauguration on June 4, which took place immediately after the June 3 snap election, with no transition period. Lee previously spoke for around 20 minutes with US President Donald Trump on June 6 and for 25 minutes with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Monday.
With Trump having confirmed his attendance at the G7 summit and Ishiba also expected to participate as Japan's representative, Lee will attend the summit in Alberta, Canada, on June 16–17 as an observer, at the invitation of the Canadian hosts. This sets the stage for his first in-person interactions with both leaders.
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