Accessibility links

Breaking News

China, South Korea Presidents Announce Seoul Summit Dates


FILE - South Korean President Park Geun-hye delivers a speech.
FILE - South Korean President Park Geun-hye delivers a speech.

China and South Korea have announced the dates for President Xi Jinping's visit to Seoul next week.

Both sides Friday announced Xi will arrive in Seoul on July 3 [Thursday] for two days of talks with his South Korean counterpart, Park Geun-hye. The trip has been widely anticipated for several weeks.

North Korea is expected to be a major topic of discussion between the two leaders. It will be the first time in more than two decades that a Chinese leader visits Seoul before Pyongyang.

Beijing is traditionally one of the North's key allies and economic partners. There has been no summit between the two countries, however, since the 2011 death of former North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il. Pyongyang has not yet commented on the impending summit in Seoul.

When asked about Xi visiting Seoul before Pyongyang, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said his country is "committed to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula."

This report was produced in collaboration with the VOA Korean service.

  • 16x9 Image

    Jee Abbey Lee

    Jee Abbey Lee is a veteran broadcast journalist with more than 10 years of experience in TV, radio, and the web. She serves as Voice of America's social media correspondent and is an expert of millennial lifestyle. 

    Lee received her graduate degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. Prior to joining VOA, she worked at the Seoul bureau of CNN Travel and served as the chief Bank of Korea correspondent for Arirang TV. 

XS
SM
MD
LG