South Koreas Lee Begins China Visit Amid Regional Tensions

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, (2nd L), and his wife, Kim Hea Kyung, arrive to depart for China at the Seoul airport in Seongnam, South Korea, on Jan. 4, 2026. Lee Jin-man/AP PhotoSouth Korean President Lee Jae Myung this week began his first state visit to China since taking office last June, as Beijing seeks to rally support from Seoul amid escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula and in the Taiwan Strait.Lee arrived at Beijing Capital International Airport on the afternoon of Jan. 4, kicking off a four-day visit at the invitation of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, China’s state broadcaster CCTV reported. Lee’s visit to China is the first by a South Korean president in six years, it added.