The summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung was defined by dueling agendas. While China pushed a message of economic partnership, South Korea was preoccupied with intractable security issues, from the U.S. alliance to a hostile North Korea.
China’s agenda was clear and focused: economics. This was reflected in the seven new economic agreements signed, including a currency swap, which Chinese state media heavily promoted. President Xi’s public remarks about “mutual respect” and “friendly consultation” all pointed toward a stable, business-first relationship.
South Korea’s agenda, by contrast, was messy and complex. President Lee was forced to be the bearer of bad news, raising sensitive security issues that complicate the economic picture. He brought up the 2017 THAAD missile system dispute, a direct consequence of the U.S. alliance that China detests.
Furthermore, Lee’s own security priority—restarting dialogue with North Korea—was a spectacular failure. His plea for Xi’s help was met with a swift and public rejection from Pyongyang, which called the idea a “pipe dream.” This diplomatic failure highlighted Seoul’s vulnerability.
The summit was also marked by domestic protests in Seoul against Chinese influence, a problem Lee must manage that China can largely ignore. In the end, China got its economic headlines, while South Korea was left to manage the same security headaches it had before the summit began.