Xi Jinping Visits South Korea to Reset Ties, Will Host 2026 APEC

Chinese President Xi Jinping made his first state visit to South Korea in 11 years on Saturday, meeting President Lee Jae Myung on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju to seek a reset in bilateral ties and discuss regional security and economic cooperation. The visit included a formal welcome ceremony, a working summit and a state dinner hosted by President Lee, and concluded with Xi’s announcement that China will host the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting in Shenzhen in November 2026.

The two leaders held face-to-face talks after an arrival ceremony in which Lee presented Xi with a carved torreya wood Go board and a mother-of-pearl lacquer tray, gifts the presidential office said were intended to symbolize cultural exchange and South Korea’s desire for warmer ties. Earlier in the visit, Lee sent Xi a package of Hwangnamppang, a traditional Gyeongju pastry, which the presidential spokesperson said was distributed to delegations as a summit treat. Lee also hosted a state dinner overseen in part by Korean American chef Edward Lee, who curated a menu blending traditional Korean flavors with contemporary influences.