Beijing, January 5 (AseanAll) — On the afternoon of January 5, 2026, Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing with President Lee Jae Myung of the Republic of Korea(South Korea), who is on a state visit to China.
Xi Jinping offered sincere New Year wishes to the ROK People. Xi Jinping pointed out that he and President Lee Jae Myung have met twice and exchanged visits, demonstrating the importance both sides attach to China-ROK relations. As friends and neighbors, China and the ROK should conduct more frequent exchanges and closer communication. The Chinese side has always viewed its relationship with the ROK as a matter of importance in its neighborhood diplomacy, and China’s policy on the ROK has maintained continuity and stability. China stands ready to work with the ROK to steer the course of friendly cooperation, promote mutual benefit and win-win results, and bring the China-ROK strategic cooperative partnership forward along the track of sound development, so as to deliver tangible benefits to both peoples and inject positive energy into peace and development of the region and the wider world.
Xi Jinping stressed that China and the ROK have long cherished peace and upheld harmony without uniformity, transcended differences in social system and ideology, and achieved mutual success and shared progress. The two sides should carry forward this fine tradition, continue to enhance mutual trust, respect each other’s choices of development path, accommodate each other’s core interests and major concerns, and stay committed to properly resolving differences through dialogue and consultation. The fourth plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee deliberated on and adopted the recommendations for formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan, laying out a blueprint for China’s development in the coming five years while providing vast opportunities for countries around the world. China and the ROK have close economic ties, deeply integrated industrial and supply chains and mutually beneficial cooperation. The two countries should foster greater synergy between development strategies, strengthen policy coordination, make the pie of common interests bigger, and deliver more cooperation outcomes in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, green industries and the silver economy. It is important for the two sides to boost people-to-people exchanges and intensify interactions at the subnational level and in such areas as youth, media, sports, and think tanks, so that the bilateral relations will enjoy strong public favor.
Xi Jinping noted that as changes unseen in a century are unfolding at a faster pace, the world is undergoing greater transformation and turbulence. China and the ROK shoulder important responsibilities in safeguarding regional peace and promoting global development. Both countries, with broad common interests, should stand firmly on the right side of history and make correct strategic choices. Over 80 years ago, China and the ROK made great sacrifices in resisting Japanese militarism and achieved the victory. Today, it is all the more important for the two sides to join hands to defend the victorious outcomes of World War II, and safeguard peace and stability of Northeast Asia. Having benefited from economic globalization, China and the ROK should jointly oppose protectionism, practice true multilateralism and contribute to building an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.
Lee Jae Myung sent best New Year wishes to the Chinese people. Lee Jae Myung noted that the ROK and China are close neighbors with long-standing ties. The two countries stood together against Japanese militarist aggression, and the ROK side appreciates China’s protection of former sites of the Korean Independence Movement in China. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the two countries have fostered close ties of cooperation with fruitful results. The ROK side attaches great importance to its relations with China. Taking the first event of heads-of-state diplomacy in the new year as an opportunity, the ROK side is ready to cement the momentum of a full recovery of bilateral ties, seek common ground while putting aside differences, deepen the ROK-China strategic cooperative partnership, and work with China to open up new prospects of the bilateral relationship. The ROK side respects China’s core interests and major concerns and stays committed to the one-China stance. Economic and trade cooperation between the ROK and China has contributed to the economic and social development of each side. The ROK looks forward to seizing the opportunities brought by China’s 15th Five-Year Plan and working for more outcomes of bilateral practical cooperation. The two countries should promote exchanges between the two peoples, and enhance understanding and mutual trust. The ROK stands ready to strengthen multilateral coordination with China to contribute to the prosperity and development of the world. He wished the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting to be hosted by China this year a full success.
After the talks, the two heads of state jointly witnessed the signing of 15 cooperation documents in science and technology, ecological environment, transportation, economy and trade, among others.
Prior to the talks, Xi Jinping and his wife, Madame Peng Liyuan, held a welcoming ceremony for Lee Jae Myung and his wife, Madame Kim Hye Kyung, in the Northern Hall of the Great Hall of the People.
As President Lee Jae Myung arrived, a guard of honor lined up in salutation. The two heads of state stepped onto a stand, after which a military band played the national anthems of China and the ROK as a 21-gun was fired in Tiananmen Square. President Lee Jae Myung reviewed the guard of honor of the People’s Liberation Army and watched the march-past in President Xi Jinping’s company.
In the evening, Xi Jinping and Madame Peng Liyuan hosted a welcome banquet for Lee Jae Myung and Madame Kim Hye Kyung in the Golden Hall of the Great Hall of the People.
