Lee Jae-myung Meets with Bessent, He Lifeng, Emphasizes Importance of US-China Relations
As U.S. President Trump visits China, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung held separate meetings with the U.S. Treasury Secretary and the Chinese Vice Premier, stressing that a stable relationship between the U.S. and China is important for global prosperity.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 13, 2026 at 19:49
- 🔍 Collected: May 13, 2026 at 20:02 (12 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 13, 2026 at 22:22 (2h 20m after Collected)
Central News Agency, Seoul, 13th - Amid U.S. President Trump's visit to China, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent first held economic and trade consultations in South Korea today. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung also met with Bessent and He Lifeng separately, emphasizing the importance of stable development in U.S.-China relations.
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung met separately with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng today.
Chief Blue House spokesperson Kang Yoo-jung stated in a briefing that during his meeting with Bessent, President Lee said that even with recent growing economic uncertainty, the economies of South Korea and the U.S. have shown stability. He urged the two countries to continue close communication to further strengthen their economic cooperative relationship.
Lee mentioned that cooperation should also be further developed in the economic and technology sectors, particularly stressing the importance of cooperation between South Korea and the U.S. in critical mineral supply chains and foreign exchange markets. Lee also expressed hope that the ROK-U.S. alliance, built on a foundation of strong mutual trust, could expand into a comprehensive partnership covering economic and strategic dimensions, becoming a mutually beneficial opportunity for both countries.
Bessent agreed, responding that it is necessary for the two countries to continue close cooperation in the future. He also noted that despite difficult situations like the war in the Middle East, South Korea has shown impressive results in economic growth and stock market performance compared to other countries.
Following that, Lee met with He Lifeng. Lee stated that if the U.S. and China can develop a stable relationship, it will contribute to the development and prosperity of all countries worldwide, including South Korea. Lee also mentioned that the full restoration of ROK-China relations through mutual visits last year and this year is one of the important achievements of South Korea's pragmatic, national interest-centered diplomacy.
Lee emphasized that South Korea and China should continue to maintain close communication in various fields such as economy, industry, trade, and culture to create concrete, substantial results.
In response, He Lifeng stated that even with expanding global uncertainty, bilateral trade between South Korea and China has grown further in the first half of this year, following last year's trend. He expressed satisfaction with the continued positive development of ROK-China relations and pledged to fully promote the implementation of agreements reached by both sides. (Editor: Tien Jui-hua) 1150513
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung met separately with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng today.
Chief Blue House spokesperson Kang Yoo-jung stated in a briefing that during his meeting with Bessent, President Lee said that even with recent growing economic uncertainty, the economies of South Korea and the U.S. have shown stability. He urged the two countries to continue close communication to further strengthen their economic cooperative relationship.
Lee mentioned that cooperation should also be further developed in the economic and technology sectors, particularly stressing the importance of cooperation between South Korea and the U.S. in critical mineral supply chains and foreign exchange markets. Lee also expressed hope that the ROK-U.S. alliance, built on a foundation of strong mutual trust, could expand into a comprehensive partnership covering economic and strategic dimensions, becoming a mutually beneficial opportunity for both countries.
Bessent agreed, responding that it is necessary for the two countries to continue close cooperation in the future. He also noted that despite difficult situations like the war in the Middle East, South Korea has shown impressive results in economic growth and stock market performance compared to other countries.
Following that, Lee met with He Lifeng. Lee stated that if the U.S. and China can develop a stable relationship, it will contribute to the development and prosperity of all countries worldwide, including South Korea. Lee also mentioned that the full restoration of ROK-China relations through mutual visits last year and this year is one of the important achievements of South Korea's pragmatic, national interest-centered diplomacy.
Lee emphasized that South Korea and China should continue to maintain close communication in various fields such as economy, industry, trade, and culture to create concrete, substantial results.
In response, He Lifeng stated that even with expanding global uncertainty, bilateral trade between South Korea and China has grown further in the first half of this year, following last year's trend. He expressed satisfaction with the continued positive development of ROK-China relations and pledged to fully promote the implementation of agreements reached by both sides. (Editor: Tien Jui-hua) 1150513