South Korea’s President Lee, China’s Xi pledge closer economic, security cooperation

SEOUL/BEIJING – South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged on June 10 to work for substantive advances in economic ties and peace and security on the Korean peninsula, Mr Lee’s office said.

In their first phone call since

Mr Lee took office last week

, the South Korean President told Mr Xi he hoped the two countries would pursue a more active exchange and cooperation in the areas of the economy, security and culture, his spokeswoman said.

“President Lee requested China to play a constructive role for the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and peace and security,” Ms Kang Yu-jung told a briefing.

“President Xi in response said the Chinese side would make efforts for the resolution of the issues... as they are matters of common interest to the two countries,” Ms Kang said.

Mr Lee took office on June 4 after winning the presidency in a snap election called after the ouster of Yoon Suk Yeol over a failed martial law attempt in December.

Mr Lee has since spoken to US President Donald Trump

and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

Chinese state media earlier said Mr Xi told Mr Lee that the two countries should respect each other’s core interests and major concerns, and ensure ties move forward “on the right track”.

A strategic cooperative partnership between both countries would bring more benefits to both and “inject more certainty into the chaotic regional and international situation”, Mr Xi was quoted as saying by state broadcaster CCTV.

Mr Xi urged the two countries to strengthen exchanges, adhere to the direction of “friendly neighbours” and jointly safeguard global and regional industrial supply chains.

China is South Korea’s biggest trading partner, and diplomatic relations between the two have improved since a 2017 spat over South Korea’s installation of a US missile defence system that Beijing opposed.

While reiterating the importance of the US-South Korea alliance, Mr Lee has also expressed more conciliatory plans for ties with China and North Korea, singling out the importance of China as a major trading partner while indicating a reluctance to take a firm stance on security tensions in the Taiwan Strait. REUTERS