Following a face-to-face meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and ROK President Lee Jae-myung in Gyeongju, CGTN published an article highlighting how head-of-state diplomacy sets a new course for China–ROK relations and how the two countries can strengthen strategic communication, deepen cooperation, and promote mutual understanding for the benefits of both peoples and regional peace and development.
Just after dawn in Jeju, the Republic of Korea (ROK), crates of fresh produce are loaded onto a vessel bound for Qingdao in east China.
Launched on October 16, the Qingdao-Jeju container line is Jeju’s first regular international shipping route. Thanks to this route, a journey that once took two weeks can now be completed overnight.
More than just a faster trade link, it signifies a renewed rhythm in China-ROK cooperation. Two weeks later, on November 1, that momentum found its political echo when Chinese President Xi Jinping and ROK President Lee Jae-myung met in Gyeongju, ROK, to chart the next stage of bilateral ties.
At the meeting, President Xi described China and the ROK as “important close neighbors that cannot be moved away and cooperation partners that cannot be separated.” He stressed that “promoting the sound and steady development of China-ROK relations is always a right choice that serves the fundamental interests of the two peoples and conforms to the trend of the times.” Xi’s words set the tone for a relationship that, though tested by changes, continues to move forward with mutual respect and mutual benefit.
‘Important close neighbors that cannot be moved away‘
During the meeting, President Xi called for strengthening strategic communication and consolidating the foundation of mutual trust, urging both sides to respect each other’s social systems and development paths while properly handling differences through friendly consultations. He also emphasized joint efforts to uphold true multilateralism and promote a fairer global governance system.
High-level exchanges have warmed up in recent months. In August, President Lee sent a special delegation led by former National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug to China for a four-day visit, carrying a personal letter from the ROK president with a clear message: to put bilateral relations back on a stable and constructive track. In September, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik attended events marking the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War in Beijing, followed by Foreign Minister Cho Hyun’s first official visit in his current role, signaling Seoul’s commitment to dialogue and renewed trust.
Niu Xiaoping, assistant research fellow at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, sees the Gyeongju meeting as more than a routine encounter. Niu said President Xi’s visit played “a bridging and guiding role,” helping China and the ROK “recalibrate and define a new positioning” for their partnership.
‘Cooperation partners that cannot be separated’
Economic ties have long been the backbone of the relationship. China has been the ROK’s largest trading partner for 21 consecutive years, while the ROK has regained its position as China’s second-largest trading partner. In 2024, bilateral trade reached $328.08 billion, up 5.6 percent year on year.
President Xi called for accelerating the second phase of the China-ROK Free Trade Agreement and tapping the cooperation potential in emerging fields such as AI, biomedicine, green industries and the silver economy.
“To help one’s neighbor succeed is to help oneself,” said Xi. Lee, for his part, stressed that economic cooperation between the two countries is “vital and indispensable” when answering a question from a CMG reporter.
President Xi also highlighted the importance of better communicating with the media and the general public, sending more positive messages and checking tendencies that may harm the relationship.
This emphasis on public perception has found concrete expression in people-to-people exchanges. Since China introduced visa-free entry for ROK visitors last November, and the ROK followed with a temporary visa exemption for Chinese group tourists this fall, travel between the two nations has surged. People from the ROK made near 2 million trips to China from January to August this year, a 40-percent increase year on year.
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