President Lee to make state visit to China Jan. 4-7, hold summit with Xi

President Lee Jae Myung shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping at Gyeongju National Museum in North Gyeongsang Province ahead of their summit on Nov. 1. Yonhap

President Lee Jae Myung is set to make a four-day state visit to China next week, during which he will have bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

According to the presidential office on Tuesday, Lee was scheduled to depart Seoul on Sunday, visiting Beijing and Shanghai.

Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said that Lee will visit Beijing from Jan. 4 to 6, during which he will have a summit with Xi and attend a state banquet. He will then visit Shanghai on Jan. 6 and 7.

It will be Lee's first visit to China since his inauguration in June, and follows Xi's visit to Korea from late October to early November on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting. Their first meeting helped ease previously strained relations between Seoul and Beijing.

"During the state visit, talks are expected to focus on issues that directly affect the livelihoods of both countries’ citizens, including supply chains, investment, the digital economy, responses to transnational crime and environmental cooperation," Kang said.

In Shanghai, one of the hubs for Korea's independence fighters during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule, Lee will mark key historical milestones — the 150th anniversary of the birth of independence fighter Kim Koo and the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Shanghai Provisional Government building, reflecting on their historical significance.

The spokesperson added that events are planned to promote future-oriented cooperation between the two countries, including partnerships in venture businesses and other areas of bilateral collaboration. She explained the signing of various MOUs is also planned during the visit.

While a specific agenda has yet to be fully released, North Korea issues may likely be included. U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit China in April, which South Korea has hoped would provide an opportunity for him to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, with a potential meeting creating momentum for dialogue with the North.

Attention is also focused on whether the Lee-Xi talks will lead to Beijing's easing or lifting of its ban on Korean cultural content, which has been tacitly imposed since the row between the two nations over the deployment of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in South Korea in 2016.

Regarding these topics, Kang said, "It is difficult to speak in detail about the exact agenda, as some items are still being coordinated between the two countries. Discussions will also cover expanding opportunities for economic cooperation and, as mentioned earlier, addressing regional developments within the framework of a mutually cooperative relationship."

The two leaders may also talk about South Korea's plan to build its own nuclear-powered submarine. Seoul gained U.S. approval recently for submarine construction as well as uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing, a plan over which Beijing issued a warning to Seoul.