| President Moon Jae-in and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands during a summit in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Dec. 14, 2017. Yonhap |
By Lee Min-hyung
Chinese President Xi Jinping is rumored to be visiting Seoul this month for a summit with President Moon Jae-in.
The JoongAng Ilbo, citing an unnamed diplomatic source, reported Thursday that Xi will visit Seoul to meet Moon before going to Osaka, Japan, in late June to participate in the G20 meeting, scheduled for two days from June 28.
Cheong Wa Dae and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said “nothing has been decided” on Xi's possible trip to Seoul. They did however, say Seoul and Beijing have been working closely to realize his visit.
“The Chinese government is known to be preparing a schedule for Xi's visit to South Korea on the last week of this month before he participates in the G20 summit,” the newspaper quoted an unnamed diplomatic source as saying.
If realized, this will be the first time for Xi to make his way to Seoul since July 2014 when he had a summit with then-President Park Geun-hye during a state visit.
Authorities from Seoul and Beijing are also reportedly fine-tuning the agenda for discussions during the possible summit between Moon and Xi. It remains to be seen whether the meeting will take place, but chances are both sides are engaging in working-level talks to decide on a location and timeline.
The potential summit comes amid an escalating trade war between China and the United States. Against the backdrop, Xi may call on Moon to support Beijing.
The year-long trade dispute between the economic powerhouses is showing no signs of coming to an end, so China is seeking to strengthen diplomatic ties with its neighboring countries in an apparent move to gain the upper hand.
Another possible issue to be discussed is denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Starting last year, Xi has held four summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Both sides discussed the now-suspended nuclear talks between Washington and Pyongyang.
Moon and Xi are also likely to exchange their views on the deadlocked dialogue.
Rumors are that Xi may visit both Seoul and Pyongyang, but it remains unknown over whether this plan will be realized.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and North Korea. The North's young leader visited China this January to celebrate the anniversary and tighten his strategic alliance with Xi.
Last month, the presidential office announced U.S. President Donald Trump would visit South Korea sometime later this month without giving further details.
Moon and Trump will focus their talks on seeking ways to resolve the ongoing stalemate in nuclear talks between Trump and Kim.
Cheong Wa Dae did not confirm exact schedules during Trump's upcoming Seoul visit, saying details are still under discussion with the U.S. authority.
Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Wednesday Trump's itinerary is expected to be confirmed later this month.
“The specific schedule for the upcoming summit between South Korea and the U.S. will likely be fixed just before or after the G20 summit,” Kang said during a luncheon meeting with Rep. Lee Hae-chan, chairman of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea.