Incheon Spearheads South Korea-China Diplomacy, Pushing for Joint Economic Cooperation Declaration
Incheon Spearheads South Korea-China Diplomacy, Pushing for Joint Economic Cooperation Declaration
On October 29, 2025, the '3rd South Korea-China Mayors and Governors Forum' was held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul. During this forum, Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok of Incheon led the effort for a joint declaration aimed at strengthening economic cooperation between local governments in South Korea and China. This is seen as laying the groundwork for expanding practical exchanges between the two countries. In particular, this joint declaration goes beyond simply expressing a willingness to cooperate, including concrete cooperation methods and implementation plans. Whether this will lead to tangible results in the future remains to be seen. Furthermore, the forum is significant in that it reaffirmed the importance of economic cooperation between South Korea and China amidst rapidly changing international affairs and provided an opportunity to form a consensus on developing a future-oriented relationship.
The joint declaration, spearheaded by Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok of Incheon, focuses on promoting economic cooperation between local governments in both countries and expanding mutual investment and exchanges. Specifically, it includes strengthening cooperation in future growth engine fields such as high-tech industries, smart cities, and eco-friendly energy, and expanding exchanges in various fields such as culture, tourism, and education. In addition, local governments in both countries have agreed to cooperate in developing innovative technologies through joint research and development and technology exchange, and to commercialize these technologies. This joint declaration is expected to further advance economic cooperation between local governments in South Korea and China and contribute to the joint prosperity of both economies.
Meanwhile, the 4th South Korea-China Mayors and Governors Forum is scheduled to be held in China in 2027. This is a regular conference held alternately by South Korea and China every two years, playing an important role in strengthening exchanges and cooperation between local governments in both countries. The 4th forum, to be held in China in 2027, is expected to focus on fleshing out the details discussed at this forum and identifying new areas of cooperation. In particular, the Chinese government is expected to actively strengthen economic cooperation with South Korea and expand mutual investment and exchanges through this forum.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to visit South Korea via Gimhae Airport on October 30, 2025. This visit is known to be aimed at emphasizing the importance of South Korea-China relations and strengthening cooperation in various fields such as economy, culture, and security. In particular, President Xi Jinping is expected to hold a summit with South Korean President [Correct President's Name] during his visit and conduct in-depth discussions on the future development direction of bilateral relations. In addition, President Xi Jinping is expected to seek cooperation measures to expand investment and exchanges through meetings with figures in the South Korean business community.
As the first item on his itinerary, President Xi Jinping will hold a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Busan. The last meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping was at the G20 summit in Japan in June 2019. This trilateral summit between South Korea, the United States, and China is expected to involve discussions on major issues such as the U.S.-China trade dispute and the North Korean nuclear issue. In particular, U.S. and Chinese trade representatives basically agreed on a 'plan to address each other's concerns' in negotiations in Malaysia on October 25-26, 2025, so it remains to be seen whether a specific agreement can be reached at this summit. In addition, regarding the North Korean nuclear issue, South Korea, the United States, and China are expected to strengthen joint efforts to denuclearize North Korea and seek to resolve the issue through dialogue and negotiation.
President [Correct President's Name] and President Xi Jinping are scheduled to hold a summit on November 1. At this summit, discussions are expected to take place on various agendas, including the direction of development of South Korea-China relations, strengthening economic cooperation, and peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. In particular, President [Correct President's Name] is expected to request President Xi Jinping's support for the Korean Peninsula peace process and urge China's constructive role in resuming dialogue with North Korea. In addition, the two leaders are expected to seek cooperation measures in various fields, such as expanding investment, technology exchange, and people-to-people exchange, to strengthen economic cooperation.
