'Wang-i' Visits Korea After One Year, Emphasizes 'Quantum Cooperation' to Counter US Alliance... Also Meets President Moon Jae-in

Arrived by private jet on the evening of the 25th... On the 26th, Korea-China Foreign Ministers' Meeting followed by a visit to President Moon
Consecutive meetings with former leader Lee Hae-chan and special advisor Moon Jung-in
Focus on reaffirming bilateral relations before the launch of the new US administration... Likely to reiterate stance amid US-China tensions

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha is having a brief conversation after a commemorative photo session with Wang Yi, State Councilor and Foreign Minister of China, before their meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building on Sejong-daero, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 4th. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Wang Yi, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister, is visiting South Korea for the first time in about a year and will meet with key political figures including Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, former Democratic Party leader Lee Hae-chan, and Presidential Special Advisor on Unification, Diplomacy, and Security Moon Jung-in until the 27th to exchange views on bilateral issues and the situation on the Korean Peninsula. Notably, during this visit, he is scheduled to pay a courtesy call on President Moon Jae-in and also engage with officials from the Blue House National Security Office.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 25th, Wang will arrive at Incheon International Airport by private plane in the evening after concluding his visit to Japan. On the morning of the 26th, Wang will hold a Korea-China foreign ministers' meeting with Minister Kang Kyung-wha and have lunch at a location in Seoul to discuss diplomatic issues between the two countries. This visit marks Wang’s first trip to South Korea since December last year, and it will be the first bilateral face-to-face meeting since the COVID-19 pandemic.

An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, “Through this foreign ministers' meeting, we plan to have in-depth exchanges on mutual interests such as cooperation in response to COVID-19, high-level exchanges between the two countries, the situation on the Korean Peninsula, and regional and international issues,” adding, “As high-level communication continues, this will be a meaningful opportunity to seek ways to further develop bilateral relations to a higher level.”

The schedule for meetings with key political figures during this visit is denser compared to the Japan visit, indicating a greater focus on South Korea. Following the foreign ministers' meeting on the 26th, Wang will pay a courtesy call on President Moon Jae-in and have dinner with former leader Lee Hae-chan, whom he last met in December. On the 27th, he will have breakfast with Special Advisor Moon Jung-in, National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee members Yoon Gun-young and Lee Jae-jung of the Democratic Party, and Hong Ik-pyo, head of the Democratic Research Institute. Additionally, he is reported to meet with National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug and Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee Chairman Song Young-gil.

Wang’s visit is interpreted as a move to reiterate China’s position on the intensified U.S.-China conflicts that escalated during the Donald Trump administration before the Biden administration took office. Especially since the Biden administration is likely to continue checks on China based on multilateral alliances, this visit is seen as an effort to gauge the trends of key U.S. allies such as South Korea and Japan in advance. President-elect Biden has consistently emphasized the need to check the technology and trade order led by China even before the election.

Professor Hwang Jae-ho of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies explained, “If Wang’s visit to Japan was aimed at exploring the newly launched Suga Yoshihide Cabinet, the core of the subsequent visit to South Korea is ‘communication with party leadership.’” He added, “It is significant in managing issues surrounding China, including economic and security matters, by meeting with not only the South Korean government but also political figures to convey China’s position and emphasize cooperation.”

There is also interest in whether further discussions will take place regarding the timing of President Xi Jinping’s visit to South Korea, which was aimed to be arranged within this year. On the 24th, Wang discussed with Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu topics such as resuming business exchanges, COVID-19 cooperation, holding high-level China-Japan economic dialogues, and establishing a hotline between defense authorities. However, it appears that no concrete discussions were held regarding President Xi’s visit to Japan. Consequently, it is expected that only general positions on the early visit of President Xi will be exchanged during the South Korea visit as well.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.