Diplomatic Balancing Act: South Korea Seeks Chinese Support Amid Tensions

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung engaged in a high-stakes summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping to renew diplomatic dialogues with the nuclear-equipped North Korea. Xi, on his first visit to South Korea in over a decade, expressed readiness to widen bilateral cooperation amid shared challenges.

The summit followed an Asia-Pacific leaders' forum and aimed at addressing regional security and bilateral economic ties. Lee emphasized the importance of leveraging recent high-level exchanges to reopen talks with North Korea, amidst skepticism from Pyongyang which dismissed denuclearization as a 'pipe dream'.

Meanwhile, U.S. and South Korean discussions led to a surprise agreement concerning tariffs and investments. Protests erupted in Seoul against Chinese influence, underlining the complex dynamics at play in Lee's diplomatic efforts to manage both superpower relationships and mitigate regional tensions.