The presidents of South Korea and China are to meet

TT

Published 09.39

 

Shopping street in South Korea's capital Seoul. The country's president wants to freeze the relationship with China. Archive image. Photo: Ahn Young-Joon/AP/TT

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is to visit China's ditto Xi Jinping following an official invitation. It will be the first time a South Korean head of state has visited China since 2019.

The visit marks the somewhat warmer attitude that Lee Jae Myung has adopted towards China since the countries have had strained political relations for many years under previous South Korean governments.

In the capital Seoul, the state leadership has long had to balance its interests between its largest trading partner China and the country's largest military ally the United States.

The meeting between the presidents takes place later this week, according to AFP.