Global Times- Xi lands in South Korea for APEC meeting, state visit

Beijing, China, 11/01/2025 / SubmitMyPR /

Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to South Korea, which marks his first state visit to the country after 11 years, could serve as an opportunity for the two countries to bring ties back on track and achieve new progress, according to Chinese experts.

Xi landed in Busan on Thursday to attend the 32nd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Gyeongju, and pay a state visit to South Korea.

Upon arriving at Busan's Gimhae International Airport, Xi was warmly welcomed by senior South Korean officials, including Foreign Minister Cho Hyun. A 21-gun salute was fired at the airport, per Xinhua News Agency.

President Xi's arrival has immediately made headlines across the South Korean media. Major local outlets including Chosun Ilbo, Yonhap, KBS World, and the Korea Times, covered the Chinese leader's landing with words and photos, while highlighting the significance of President Xi's state visit.

The Korea Times said in its Thursday report that Xi's separate summit with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung is expected to become a key moment in shaping future South Korea-China relations, which have cooled in recent years amid the growing China-US rivalry.

Also, local media outlets such as the Korea Herald noticed and extensively cited Lee's interview with Xinhua, in its report titled "Lee vows to deepen partnership between South Korea, China."

In the exclusive written interview with Xinhua, South Korean president has said that he is willing to work with Chinese President Xi to promote mutually beneficial cooperation between South Korea and China, improve the lives of the peoples of both countries, and create tangible results for them.

On his expectations for Xi's visit, Lee hoped to have in-depth discussions on specific plans to enhance practical cooperation to improve people's livelihood, expand the consultation channels for bilateral economic and trade cooperation, accelerate discussions to make practical progress in the negotiations on the South Korea-China Free Trade Agreement to include services and investment, and create a new institutional foundation for economic and trade cooperation.

The South Korean president said he is very glad that China will take over as the host of APEC next year, emphasizing that both South Korea and China support transforming APEC into an open, dynamic, resilient and peaceful Asia-Pacific community, and promoting cooperation within APEC.

As the 32nd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting is set to officially start on Friday, locals are holding various events to celebrate what many described as a "proud" moment for South Korea.

"It's an honor for the local people to host a lot of leaders. Most of all, it's a big opportunity to let the rest of the world know [about] Gyeongju," Bae Joong-seon, a shop owner in Gyeongju, told the Global Times, as the television in the shop live-streamed news about the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting.

After several years of ups and downs in China-South Korea relations, the visit could serve as an opportunity for the two countries to bring ties back on track and achieve new progress, Xiang Haoyu, a distinguished research fellow at the Department for Asia-Pacific Studies of the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times.

He added that this is not only essential for the growth of bilateral relations, but also a positive step for both sides to work together to safeguard regional peace and deepen cooperation amid the current geopolitical shifts.

The current warming of China-South Korea relations aligns with both sides' shared aspirations and practical needs. Over the decades since diplomatic ties of both nations were established in 1992, economic and trade cooperation has remained the ballast of bilateral relations, Park Seung Chan, chairman of the Federation of Korea-China and Professor at Yongin University, told the Global Times.

Park said despite differences in political systems and development paths, both countries should continue to adhere to the principle of "seeking common ground while putting aside differences" and respecting each other's systems to expand broader cooperation space.

The visit could mark a pivotal turning point, as a potential meeting between the two heads of state is expected to inject fresh momentum into the strategic partnership, further elevating trade relations and business cooperation to new heights, said Park.

Source: Global Times:
Company: Global Times
Contact Person: Anna Li
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://globaltimes.cn
City: Beijing


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