South Korea’s Lee Asks China’s Xi for Help Engaging North Korea

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung sought Chinese President Xi Jinping’s help in efforts to resume talks with nuclear-armed neighbor North Korea on Saturday, while Xi told Lee he was willing to widen cooperation and jointly tackle the challenges they face.

Lee hosted Xi at a state summit and dinner after an Asia-Pacific leaders’ forum in the South Korean city of Gyeongju, marking Xi’s first visit to the US ally in 11 years.

Beijing attaches great importance to relations with Seoul and sees South Korea as an inseparable cooperative partner, Xi said ahead of the summit according to Lee’s office.

Lee, who was elected president in a snap election in June, has promised to strengthen ties with the United States while not antagonizing China and seeking to reduce tensions with the North.

“I am very positive about the situation in which conditions for engagement with North Korea are being formed,” Lee said, referring to recent high-level exchanges between China and North Korea.

“I also hope that South Korea and China will take advantage of these favorable conditions to strengthen strategic communication to resume dialogue with North Korea.”

Lee has called for a phased approach to denuclearizing North Korea, starting with engagement and a freeze on further development of nuclear weapons.