South Korean president grins in selfies with China's Xi as part of a charm offensive

After a Beijing summit, Mr Lee posted selfies with President Xi and their wives on X, saying he used a Xiaomi phone given by Xi; the two sides signed 15 agreements and South Korean business leaders joined the visit.

South Korea's Mr Lee visited Beijing for a four-day trip and met Chinese President Xi Jinping for their second meeting in two months. After the summit, Mr Lee posted selfies with Mr Xi and their wives on X and shared a short video of the moment. The visit includes a delegation of more than 200 South Korean business leaders and comes as both countries signal efforts to restore closer ties amid regional strains. Broad cooperation topics discussed included technology, intellectual property and transportation. Key facts: - The leaders met in Beijing; Mr Lee posted selfies taken with a Xiaomi phone he said he received as a gift from Mr Xi, and a video of the moment was shared by Mr Lee's office. - Officials reported that the two governments signed 15 agreements at the summit covering areas such as technology, intellectual property and transportation. - Chinese and South Korean companies signed nine cooperation agreements, with broadcasters and South Korea's Trade Ministry naming firms including Alibaba International, Lenovo and Shinsegae. - Mr Xi made remarks referencing historic resistance to Japanese militarism and urged safeguarding peace and stability in Northeast Asia, while tensions with Japan and Taiwan were mentioned in the wider context. - Mr Lee is leading a delegation of over 200 business leaders to Beijing, and the trip also includes a planned stop in Shanghai. - Observers quoted in reports described the summit as an important step to restore high-level diplomacy but said many substantive policy issues, including disputes at sea and economic measures, remain unresolved. Summary: The visit advanced formal steps toward restoring South Korea–China ties and produced multiple bilateral and commercial agreements while the leaders presented a conciliatory public tone. Mr Lee will continue the trip with a stop in Shanghai and lead a large business delegation; longer-term outcomes on regional disputes and economic policies are undetermined at this time.