South Korea has secured state visits from both U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, coinciding with the APEC Leaders’ Meeting in Gyeongju later this month. President Lee Jae-myung’s administration persuaded Trump to extend his stay from a same-day visit to a two-day, one-night state visit (Oct. 29-30), while Xi is expected to stay longer as part of his own state visit. These arrangements are viewed as diplomatic wins for Lee, who is showing that South Korea is a potential forum of discussion in the fraught US-China relationship.
“If a U.S.-China summit occurs, it could also take place during President Trump’s stay in South Korea,” a presidential source from South Korea told the press.
Newly appointed Ambassador to China Roh Jae-heon reported that “President Xi’s visit after 11 years will be a significant opportunity for us, and President Lee Jae-myung is also expected to visit China afterward.” China will host the APEC meeting next year.
