China’s President Xi Jinping has told South Korea’s new leader Lee Jae-myung to put relations back on “the right course” and work with Beijing to uphold multilateralism and free trade.
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Beijing is trying to get closer to Seoul amid its escalating rivalry with the United States and Xi described the two countries as “close neighbours that cannot be separated”, adding that the two sides should respect each other’s core interests and major concerns.
In Tuesday’s call, the first since Lee took office last week, Xi called for a “good-neighbourly friendship” and more diplomatic, economic and cultural exchanges.
“Respecting each other’s core interests and major concerns will help maintain the right course of bilateral relations and ensure steady progress,” he said, according to a statement issued by Beijing.
Xi added: “A healthy, stable, and continuously deepening China-South Korea relationship aligns with the trends of the times, serves the fundamental interests of both peoples, and contributes to regional and global peace, stability, and prosperity.”
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Lee, widely perceived as a China dove, took office on June 4 after winning a snap election triggered by his predecessor Yoon Suk-yeol’s failed attempt to impose martial law.