Will Xi Jinping Visit South Korea After 10 Years?... Silence from China

Chinese President Xi Jinping stated during a meeting with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo in Hangzhou that he would consider visiting South Korea, but there has been a quiet atmosphere within China with no follow-up reports or prospects. Attention is focused on whether President Xi will push for a sudden visit to South Korea amid the current situation where political and diplomatic distances with China have grown wider than ever due to strengthened cooperation among South Korea, the United States, and Japan.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 23rd, President Xi met with Prime Minister Han, who visited Hangzhou, and said, "I will seriously consider the issue of visiting South Korea." This was the first time in 10 months that a top South Korean official met with President Xi since the summit between President Yoon and President Xi at the G20 in Bali last November.

There is also an assessment that the fact President Xi met with Prime Minister Han in Hangzhou and mentioned the visit himself was all considered in advance for its meaning and weight. A South Korean embassy official in China explained, "The meeting was timely and well conducted," adding, "Usually, we propose a visit first and then receive a response, but it is said that President Xi brought up the topic first." The official speculated, "China announces everything only after everything is concretely decided. Since they have already made their own decisions and judgments, they are likely speaking according to their own timetable."

However, it is difficult to find any mention or reports within China about the possibility of President Xi visiting South Korea. Chinese media did not report on the part where President Xi mentioned the visit.

President Xi last visited South Korea in July 2014 during the Park Geun-hye administration, so if the visit is realized within this year, it would be his first visit in 10 years. Former President Moon Jae-in visited China twice in December 2017 and December 2019 during his term, but President Xi did not reciprocate the visit. According to diplomatic customs, it is indeed President Xi’s turn to visit South Korea.

During the first summit with President Yoon on November 15 last year in Bali, Indonesia, President Xi also mentioned, "Once the COVID-19 situation stabilizes to some extent, I will gladly accept President Yoon’s invitation to visit South Korea," while also expressing hope that "President Yoon will visit China at a mutually convenient time."

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