Lee and Xi Summit: Focus on Economy, Disagreement on Security

A landmark summit between South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Chinese President Xi Jinping highlighted a clear divergence in priorities, with Xi focusing on economic partnership while Lee emphasized urgent security threats.
Xi, on his first visit in 11 years, called South Korea an “inseparable cooperative partner” and oversaw the signing of seven agreements, including a currency swap. His state media reports focused on cooperation in AI, green tech, and “mutual respect for development paths.”
Lee, however, used the summit to press for help on North Korea and to raise other security issues. He asked Xi to help resume dialogue with Pyongyang, and South Korea’s defence minister separately raised the issue of Chinese military activity in Korea’s Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ).
Lee also raised economic frictions, including Chinese sanctions on Hanwha Ocean and the 2017 THAAD dispute.
On Lee’s main request, North Korea offered a swift rejection, calling his plan a “pipe dream.” Chinese state media, meanwhile, completely omitted the North Korea discussions from their reports.