US, S.Korean presidents meet with China-related issues under spotlight
Global Times
China-South Korea ties hinge on dialogue to address shared concerns: analyst
By Wang Qi and Zhao Jingru Published: Aug 27, 2025 12:24 AM
US President Donald Trump on Monday local time met with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung in Washington, during which China-related issues were put under spotlight, including their possible visits to China, US' reopening of Chinese students' visa, as well as Seoul's latest claims on approaches in dealing with China and the US.
Analysts said the mentioning of China during the US-South Korea leaders' meeting indicated that coordinating the two countries' policies toward China has become an extremely important issue for both the US and South Korea.
Shift of tone?
Speaking to reporters while meeting South Korean President Lee in Washington, President Trump said that "At some point, probably during this year or shortly thereafter, we'll go to China," per an AFP report.
"We're going to have a great relationship with China," Trump was quoted as saying in media reports.
"Maybe we will go together. Do you (Lee Jay-myung) want to go together? We can share a plane, we will save energy, we will save a little ah, you know the ozone," said Trump in response to a Chinese reporter's question.
When asked about whether China is open to a visit from Trump as Trump claimed that he expects to visit China this year or shortly afterwards, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Tuesday that China always follows the principle of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and mutually beneficial cooperation to handle and grow its relations with the US.
"We will also firmly safeguard our sovereignty, security and development interests. We hope the US will work with us to jointly promote the steady, sound and sustainable development of bilateral ties. Head-of-state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable and strategic guiding role in China-US relations. The presidents of the two countries maintain close interactions and communication," the spokesperson added.
Lü Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that President Trump's reference to China during his meeting with the South Korean leader subtly signaled a pragmatic intent to handle US-China relations.
Li Haidong, a professor at China Foreign Affairs University, believes that Trump's discussion of China in the presence of the South Korean leader shows that coordinating US-South Korean policies toward China has become an inevitable and central topic in their bilateral meetings.
Before meeting with Lee, Trump announced that 600,000 Chinese students would be allowed into the US to study at colleges, according to Fox News, noting that Trump's latest visa offer comes against the backdrop of China-US trade talks.
The "shift in tone" began in June, when Trump said that he has "always been in favor" of welcoming students from China, Fox News reported.
In May, the US government announced it would "aggressively revoke" visas for Chinese students, and revise visa criteria to enhance scrutiny of all future applications from China. The move was strongly condemned and opposed by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
Despite the latest signal on student visas, Lü noted that negative factors remain as the US still imposes restrictions on Chinese students studying abroad in terms of specialized courses and visa procedures, and there are even cases of harassment of the students.
Given the US media data that currently about 270,000 Chinese students are enrolled in US universities, the number 600,000 looks ambiguous and blur, according to Lü. The stark contrast between the Trump's signal and the US government's actual implementation makes the Chinese expert hold reservation.
Trump also noted that the US had cards to play on China-US relations amid ongoing trade and tariff tensions.
Fox News also reported that last week, Trump floated a 200 percent tariff on Chinese-made magnets, citing what he described as Beijing's "monopoly" over the global market.
The US aimed at pressuring China to concede on trade issues. The negotiations over trade and critical resources are likely to become the centerpiece of China-US relations in the coming phase. With each side leveraging distinct strengths, the key challenge will be to strike a balance that prevents restrictions and countermeasures from undermining their respective economic vitality, Lü said.
China remains pragmatic, calm, and adaptable, Li said, noting there is still considerable room for both sides to find common ground and move toward mutual cooperation.
Gesture of changing approaches
Similarly, Lee also mentioned his approach in dealing with relations with the US and China during a speech at the at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, following his first summit with Trump at the White House, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported.
When asked whether Seoul would continue its approach of relying on the US while seeking economic benefits from China, Lee stressed Korea can "no longer maintain the same approach as in the past," according to the report.
"So before the US had a very firm position against countering China or containing China, it is - I guess it could be said that Korea relied its security on the US and its economic cooperation with China," according to the transcript of Lee's statement released by the CSIS.
However, within the - in the recent few years - and as the confrontation between the liberal democratic community and the community led by China - the competition has become fierce, and the supply chains are being readjusted accordingly, it's no longer possible to maintain that kind of logic.
However, if we look at the facts, while the US is competing with China in some areas, there are other areas in which the US is cooperating with China. So Korea is currently kind of distanced from America's export controls and supply chain controls regarding China. But because we are geographically very closely located to China, we are maintaining our relationship with China, Lee said, cited by the CSIS.
Lü Chao, president and associate professor at the Institute of American and East Asian Studies at Liaoning University, told the Global Times that Lee's statement on the approaches on China is more about a political gesture during his visit in the US capital as Seoul is facing the US tariff-related coercion. Meanwhile Lee's words could also be seen as a response to the pressure exerted by pro-US forces within South Korea.
According to CNBC, the US and South Korea announced a series of agreements Monday in Washington, including $150 billion investment pledge from South Korean companies, an order of 103 airplanes from Boeing, purchases of South Korean ships and a shipbuilding partnership.
In July, South Korea has negotiated US tariffs on its goods down to 15 percent, which came after Seoul agreed to invest $350 billion in the US, $150 billion of which will go into helping the US build ships, per the BBC.
Before Lee's visit, his presidential office said Seoul would "seek to further the relationship with China on the foundation of the strong alliance between South Korea and US," downplaying Foreign Minister Cho Hyun's remarks about China in early August. Cho has mentioned China responding to the Washington Post question about "navigate geopolitical challenges" in South Korea's neighborhood.
Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao on Tuesday met with the visiting Park Byeong-seug, special envoy of President Lee, in Beijing. The two sides reaffirm the willingness to accelerate negotiations on the second phase of their bilateral free trade agreement to deepen economic ties and enhance regional cooperation, as well as safeguard the stability of industrial and supply chains.
According to Lü Chao, China and South Korea are geopolitical neighbors, sharing regional security concerns such as the Korean Peninsula issues. "Therefore, the core of China-South Korea relations should be based on communication and consultation to address common concerns," which differs from Washington's calculation to use Seoul in containing Beijing.
As for China, it consistently emphasizes that US-South Korea cooperation should not harm the third party's interests, including China's interests, whether in terms of economic and trade development or regional security in Northeast Asia, the expert added.
Li Yu contributed to the story
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