Prime Minister Han to Meet President Xi Jinping Tomorrow... Reviving Momentum for Korea-China Dialogue

Meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the 23rd
Countering North Korea and Russia, Opening the Door to the Korea-China-Japan Summit
South Korea-Japan Foreign Ministers Meeting "Korea-China-Japan Summit Within the Year"

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the 23rd. This is the first meeting in 10 months since President Yoon Suk-yeol met with President Xi in November last year. The meeting between Prime Minister Han and President Xi is expected to serve as an opportunity to check the close ties between North Korea and Russia while also paving the way for the Korea-Japan-China summit to be held within the year. Attention is focused on whether this will become a catalyst for improving Korea-China relations, which have deteriorated since President Yoon mentioned the 'Taiwan issue' in April.

According to diplomatic circles on the 22nd, Prime Minister Han will meet with President Xi on the occasion of attending the opening of the '2023 Asian Games' in Hangzhou, China, on the 23rd. Prime Minister Han is the highest-ranking official to visit China under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration. Traditionally, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism has attended the Asian Games opening ceremony, so this is a specially elevated dispatch.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

So far, Korea-China relations have been strained due to controversies such as the remarks by Xing Haiming, the Chinese Ambassador to Korea, about 'betting,' visa conflicts between Korea and China, and President Yoon's statements related to Taiwan. However, with the increasing need for Korea-Japan-China cooperation amid the North Korea-Russia closeness, and the necessity to improve relations with China, which accounts for a significant portion of Korea's trade, President Yoon has consistently expressed his willingness to improve relations with President Xi Jinping.

There is also sufficient momentum for dialogue between Korea and China. China is also in a position where it needs to reduce the space for Korea to join the U.S.'s policy of isolating China. To resolve challenges such as supply chain instability and macroeconomic crises, a dual strategy is needed that seeks Korea-Japan-China cooperation while partially controlling the influence of North Korea and Russia. Therefore, this high-level meeting appears to reflect the intention of both countries to improve relations.

This sentiment is detected in remarks from both sides regarding this meeting. Prime Minister Han recently said at a press briefing with reporters on the 19th, regarding his attendance at the Asian Games opening ceremony, "You can interpret it as a signal that I hope Korea-China relations will proceed well." China is also responding positively. Following the Korea-China-Japan deputy foreign ministers' meeting in Seoul on the 25th, a high-level meeting (SOM) attended by deputy ministers of the three countries will be held on the 26th, which is interpreted as reflecting this atmosphere. Japan is also responding accordingly. On the 21st (local time), Foreign Minister Park Jin and newly appointed Japanese Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko mentioned at a high-level consultation during the UN General Assembly, "We will realize the Korea-Japan-China summit within the year." Accordingly, the meeting between Prime Minister Han and President Xi is expected to reaffirm both sides' willingness to improve relations and to resolve conflicts.

The most notable aspect of the meeting between Prime Minister Han and President Xi is their related remarks. It is known that Prime Minister Han will ask President Xi for cooperation to hold the Korea-China-Japan summit, which has not been held since the meeting in Chengdu, China, in December 2019, within the year in Korea, and will also explore the possibility of President Xi visiting Korea. The extent to which President Xi responds positively will be the key variable in this meeting.

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