"On Sunday, it was Lee's turn to make a trip to Beijing, starting a four-day visit the first to China by a South Korean president since 2019. South Korea finds itself in a complex position: It needs firm relations with China, a key economic partner, but Beijing's ties with Seoul's two strongest allies, the United States and Japan, have deteriorated in recent years."
"Money clearly matters. China is South Korea's largest economic partner, its top destination for exports, and a primary source of imports. But Seoul needs Beijing for more than economic reasons. Beijing is important to Seoul because of the influence it wields over North Korea and its leader, Kim Jong Un. The urgency of regional security was underscored by North Korea firing hypersonic missiles over the sea east of its territory just hours before Lee departed for China."
China and South Korea increasingly rely on each other for economic and security reasons amid geopolitical churn in the Asia-Pacific. Xi Jinping and Lee Jae Myung met twice in two months and exchanged warm remarks during a summit. Lee visited Beijing, his first trip to China by a South Korean president since 2019, followed by a planned trip to Japan. China is South Korea's largest trading partner and influences North Korea. Tensions include disagreements over Taiwan, trade, and maritime claims, and recent North Korean missile tests raised regional security urgency.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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