First China-South Korea summit in two years shows signs of improvement in relations between the two countries - could this be triggered by Trump's victory in the US presidential election?

South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the 15th (local time) in Lima, Peru, where he was attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.
The two leaders held a summit with President Moon Jae-in. This will be the first meeting between the two leaders in two years since November 2022. As the Yun administration strengthened cooperation with the United States, Sino-Korean relations had been cooling, but China has recently strengthened its relations with South Korea.
The fact that the summit meeting took place for the first time in two years can also be seen as a sign of improved relations. During the meeting, Xi asked Yun to visit China. The South Korean newspaper Dong-A Ilbo reported on this as follows:
With the inauguration of a second Trump administration approaching, some are of the opinion that China may be trying to draw South Korea in and 'tame' it."
Amid a cooling in Sino-Korean relations, a meeting between the Chinese and Korean foreign ministers was held in May this year, during which Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke to his South Korean counterpart Cho Tae-in.
He expressed his dissatisfaction with Foreign Minister Yeol. With South Korea strengthening its security cooperation with Japan and the United States in mind, he said, "Recently, China-South Korea relations have been facing difficulties and challenges. This is not in line with the common interests of both sides.
Regarding the Taiwan issue, he said, "South Korea will adhere to the one-China principle, handle Taiwan-related issues with caution, and maintain the political tone of the relationship between the two countries."
"We need to stabilize the relationship," Cho said. "It is important that both countries work together to develop the relationship, not one side," he said. "Even if there are difficulties, we will work together to overcome our differences.
"We need to maintain the momentum of cooperation while carefully managing the situation so that it doesn't spill over into friction."
At the time of the meeting, the Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo reported that "(Mr. Cho) had been in Beijing the previous afternoon.
The meeting and dinner with Wang at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Seoul did not result in the announcement of an agreement, and a meeting between Minister Cho and President Xi Jinping also did not take place.
"We confirmed that there are still differences in perception regarding sensitive issues such as the forced repatriation of North Koreans," the report said. For a long time, there was no prospect of improving relations, but China has recently begun to hold talks with South Korea.
China has begun to take a proactive stance toward improving relations with South Korea. From the 8th of this month, visa-free entry will be permitted for a limited period until the end of next year.
This is the first time since the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and South Korea in 1992. High-level dialogue between the two countries has also been intensifying in recent times. In this context, the Chinese and South Korean leaders met for the first time in two years.
The president said North Korea's strengthening military cooperation with Russia and repeated military provocations were destabilizing the situation on the Korean Peninsula, and called on China to play a constructive role.
He also called for strengthening cooperation in people-to-people exchanges in addition to the economic sphere, which has been the focus of China-South Korea relations to date.
Xi also invited Yun to visit China. South Korea's public broadcaster KBS said, "This meeting was held to commemorate the US President-elect Trump's 'freedom-first policy.'
Trade competition between the United States and China is expected to intensify as the United States has raised tariffs on China under the slogan "justice." Meanwhile, North Korea, which has traditionally been a friendly country of China, has recently been negotiating with Russia.
"This comes at a time when relations between China and North Korea have become estranged as a result of the two countries' sudden rapprochement and their clear reliance on Russia rather than China."
Now, Xi has suddenly begun to show affection for Yoon, after the US
The return of Trump to the presidency is also thought to have had an impact. The South Korean newspaper JoongAng Ilbo reported, "After Trump takes office as president, the US is expected to step up its offensive against China.
"This means that China is trying to get closer to South Korea and Japan, which are concerned about the trade offensive and possible changes to the security system of President Donald Trump's second term," the paper said.
We note the difference in how Chinese media handled the meeting between this one and the one in January. "In its report on the 17th, the People's Daily of China placed a photo of President Yun and President Xi shaking hands on the front page. President Yun will be the first president in 2022.
"This is in stark contrast to the fact that the newspaper placed a photo of the Korean War at the bottom of the second page," he pointed out. As signs of improved relations are beginning to appear, the South Korean newspaper Hankyoreh published an editorial on the 17th stating, "North Korea and Russia's military cooperation, the U.S.
In the midst of a rapidly changing international situation, such as the launch of the second Trump administration, South Korea is taking an advanced approach to proactively utilizing China leverage (a mechanism for using small forces to move big things) for the sake of peace on the Korean Peninsula.
"We need a diplomatic strategy that is more practical and that is more effective than ever," he said, urging the South Korean government to "escape from the current confrontational structure and resolve relations with China from the perspective of pragmatic diplomacy that prioritizes national interests."
"We should instead use the expected pressure from the United States on China during Trump's second term as an opportunity to improve relations between South Korea and China."