Wang Yi to visit Seoul amid alliance jitters
SCMP · 2 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will make a two-day visit to Seoul from August 19 to 20, marking his first solo bilateral exchange trip to South Korea in five years.
During the visit, he is scheduled to meet South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac for talks on bilateral ties, the Korean Peninsula and wider regional issues.
The trip comes just after US President Donald Trump said he had instructed the Pentagon to scale back military drills with South Korea, a move that has raised concerns about alliance coordination in Asia.
Seoul said the visit should help both countries review progress in restoring ties and prepare for the next stage of high-level exchanges ahead of the APEC summit in Shenzhen in November.
Key Points
- South Korea's Foreign Ministry said Wang will visit from August 19 to 20, his first official trip to the country in five years.
- President Lee Jae Myung is due to receive Wang at the Blue House on Thursday to discuss bilateral relations and regional affairs.
- Lee will also ask Wang to convey his regards to Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to South Korea's presidential office.
- Wang is scheduled to hold talks and a dinner with Foreign Minister Cho Hyun upon arriving in Seoul on Wednesday.
- He will also meet National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac over lunch as both sides discuss peninsula developments and international issues.
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers, the visit points to renewed diplomatic activity between Beijing and Seoul at a time of uncertainty over US security policy in Northeast Asia.
If China and South Korea can stabilise ties before the Shenzhen APEC summit, that could affect regional trade and political coordination in ways closely watched by Hong Kong's business and policy communities.