SEOUL/BEIJING (Dec 30): South Korean President Lee Jae Myung will make a state visit to China from Jan 4 to 7 and meet Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, the Blue House said on Tuesday, aiming to keep up momentum to restore ties. China is South Korea's largest trading partner, and Seoul regards Beijing as a key force for stabilising supply chains, Lee has previously said. "China and South Korea are important neighbours and partners. The US is South Korea's military ally but Seoul relies on trade with China, which accounts for about 20% of South Korea's overall trade, said Cheong Seong-chang, vice president of the Sejong Institute, a Seoul-based think-tank. Among the issues at stake between the two countries is Beijing's effective ban on K-pop content after the 2017 deployment of a US-led missile defence system in South Korea.

Source: The Edge Markets December 30, 2025 09:54 UTC