US, China leaders to meet in South Korea for 1st summit in 6 years as strategic tensions deepen
President Lee Jae Myung will hold talks with state leaders, including US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, during their state visits to South Korea to attend the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, later this month, the presidential office said Friday.
Lee will hold his second summit with Trump on Oct. 29 and his first with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Nov. 1, according to the presidential office. Trump and Xi will hold their first summit in six years on Oct. 30. Although Lee’s summits with US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will take place in Gyeongju, Seoul did not elaborate on the location of the US-China summit, saying it is up to the two countries to decide.
Lee's meeting with Xi, who is visiting South Korea for the first time in 11 years, is scheduled for the afternoon of Nov. 1, following the official handover ceremony of the APEC chairmanship, Lee's national security adviser Wi Sung-lac said in a briefing.
Lee's summit with Trump will be their second in about two months, following their first meeting at the White House in late August. Since announcing plans on July 31 to cut US tariffs on most South Korean goods, including automobiles, in return for a $350 billion investment package, the two countries have engaged in months of negotiations but have yet to clinch a deal.
Lee and Xi have yet to officially meet each other since Lee's inauguration in June. Wi said their talks will likely center around ways to deepen bilateral ties, North Korea and the regional situation, but the agenda has yet to be confirmed.
Both Trump and Xi will be on state visits to South Korea, according to Wi. He explained that it will be the first time state visits by the US and Chinese leaders include engagements outside of Seoul.
In response to a question about the possibility of a North Korea-US summit on the sidelines of APEC, Wi said, “We are closely monitoring developments between the two countries, but as far as we know, there have been no new movements.”
Alongside meetings with the leaders of the superpowers, Lee is set to meet with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday at the APEC venue in Gyeongju, in part to discuss ways to strengthen security and defense ties with Canada. Back in June, when Lee attended the Group of Seven summit in Canada, Lee asked for Carney's support for South Korea’s participation in Canada’s submarine procurement program.
Lee will also receive Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Sunday, after the APEC summit, in Seoul.
Both Carney and Wong will be on official visits to South Korea, Wi said, adding that there could be more bilateral meetings at the state level on the occasion of the APEC events.
Wi, who recently traveled to Tokyo following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's inauguration earlier this week, said a bilateral meeting between Lee and Takaichi during the APEC week is being coordinated.
Asked whether participating leaders at APEC will adopt a “Gyeongju Declaration,” Wi said, “It is true that we have been preparing an official declaration for quite some time. There are some contentious issues, but we are making every effort to coordinate them so that the declaration can be adopted.”
