A partnership with limits: Lee Jae-myung’s China reset

On 10 June, President Lee Jae-myung and President Xi Jinping confirmed their commitment to restore bilateral relations during a congratulatory phone call marking Lee’s inauguration. Lee invited Xi to attend the APEC Summit in Gyeongju in November, increasing the likelihood of a state visit by Xi during that period. Expectations for the restoration of bilateral relations are also on the rise. How can we understand future Korea-China relations?

The new administration’s practical diplomacy centred on national interests is a policy that aims to develop relations with neighbouring countries while maintaining the US-South Korea alliance as its foundation. The new administration must first resolve issues with the US and then improve its relations with neighbouring countries.

The level of South Korea-China diplomatic cooperation must be gauged based on the level of South Korea-US cooperation. Within the big picture of South Korea’s pragmatic diplomacy, there is a coordinate where China is located. South Korea’s policy toward China is to manage and develop relations within the scope that does not affect the ROK-US alliance.

Lee placed his first phone call to China after speaking with the US and Japan. By contrast, former President Moon Jae-in called the US, China and Japan, while his successor, Yoon Suk-yeol, reached out to the US, Japan, and then China. Progressive governments have generally prioritised relations with China, while conservative governments have prioritised relations with Japan.

The order of these calls demonstrated Lee’s commitment to practical diplomacy. During the call, he conveyed the message that, as a progressive government leader, he prioritises the ROK-US alliance and ROK-US-Japan security cooperation, while also demonstrating room for improvement in ROK-China relations. Unlike previous governments, which leaned toward either China or Japan, he demonstrated a sense of balance.

Under friendly communication, the first step toward restoring bilateral relations is to restore the strategic cooperative partnership that was established in 2008. While largely intact, the relationship has seen shifts in tone and emphasis. The Yoon administration, for instance, downplayed the notion of a strategic partnership, choosing instead to highlight “mutual respect”. If Xi’s planned year-end visit to South Korea and Lee’s reciprocal visit to China take place, they may provide the momentum needed to bolster and eventually upgrade the relationship.

For now, we must engage in strategic cooperation, as befits the name “strategic cooperative partner”. In the field of diplomacy and security, the starting point can be found in denuclearisation and peace, where the positions of South Korea and China are closest and where they have the greatest common interests. Easing tensions on the Korean peninsula is in the interests of both countries.

In the field of economic and trade relations, all forms of cooperation, except those involving sensitive science and technology, can be enhanced. For both countries, the conclusion of the second phase of the FTA before Xi’s visit to South Korea at the end of the year could be an immediate goal.

In terms of human exchanges, we will comprehensively promote exchanges in the media, among young people, and between local governments. In particular, we will expand cultural exchanges between South Korea and China, including Korean wave performances in China.

We will strengthen communication between the government and the private sector to facilitate strategic cooperative partnership cooperation. At the government level, we will resume strategic communication between the director of the National Security Office and the director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission of China. A 2+2 high level dialogue in various combinations, such as trade-diplomacy, diplomacy-defence, would also be good. Private-sector exchanges should also be carried out in parallel. 

The deterioration of Korea-China relations in recent years has significantly harmed mutual understanding and public sentiment between the two nations. The Yoon administration’s emphasis on “mutual respect” toward China also reflects rising anti-China sentiment within South Korea — fuelled by the THAAD crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic. In this context, the Chinese government’s decision last November to grant visa-free entry to South Koreans, followed by the Korean government’s plan to temporarily allow visa-free entry for Chinese group tourists starting next month, represents a constructive step forward.

In addition, effective conceptual and linguistic communication between the two countries is essential. In China, the practicality (shiyong 实用) of practical diplomacy often carries connotations of materialism and opportunism. Therefore, when describing its diplomatic approach, the South Korean government should use the term “practical” as expressed by wushi (务实), which conveys a more balanced and constructive meaning. Failing to make this distinction could lead to misunderstandings and potentially distort the image of the new administration.

Furthermore, the term “strategic cooperative partner” carries different connotations in each country: in China, it implies a partner for medium- to long-term cooperation, primarily in economic and diplomatic areas; in South Korea, however, it is often interpreted to include the possibility of security and military cooperation. It is essential to clearly understand and acknowledge the limitations of cooperation between the two countries.

China also appears to have high hopes. Although the phone call came third — after those with the US and Japan — there were no signs of dissatisfaction from Beijing. Likewise, there was no response to Lee attending the G7.

China, which values South Korea’s strategic importance, has sought to stabilise its relationship with South Korea since last year under the pretext of trilateral cooperation between South Korea, China and Japan. As seen in the Central Conference on Work Related to Neighboring Countries attended by Xi in April this year, the importance of the region is increasing amid competition between the US and China, and South Korea is also at the centre of its peripheral diplomacy. 

During the conversation, Xi emphasised that China and South Korea should keep bilateral relations on the right track to ensure their sound and steady development. In response, South Korea will ultimately determine how to uphold this direction and inject stability through a practical, interest-based approach to diplomacy. Just as South Korea respects China’s core interests, it is essential that China also respects South Korea’s core interests.

The emergence of a pragmatic government under the current circumstances signals the potential to create new space and opportunities for cooperation in bilateral relations. Although various constraints persist — driven by the rapidly shifting domestic and international security environment — the future of the relationship will depend on the efforts of both sides. To move forward, both countries must exercise flexibility and practicality, embodying the art of patience. That is the diplomatic wisdom essential to sustaining and advancing bilateral ties.

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