Hours after President Xi Jinping posed for selfies with South Korea’s Lee Jae Myung in Beijing, China sent a very different message to Japan, escalating their dispute by imposing export controls.

Overseas travel from South Korea continues to rebound at a rapid pace. According to the Korea Tourism Organization and Incheon International Airport Corporation, both the number of South Koreans traveling abroad between January and October 2025 (24,

China's President Xi Jinping will host South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on a state visit starting on Sunday, as Beijing looks to strengthen ties with Seoul amidst rising tensions with Japan over Taiwan.

Analysts say both countries increasingly rely on each other for economic and security factors amid geopolitical churn.

Lee’s visit is positive sign for China-South Korea relations. But both sides must heed the lessons from the THAAD dispute.

As South Korean President Lee began a state visit to China on Saturday, major Japanese media outlets closely tracked Beijing's efforts to ties.

China has banned exports of some rare earth elements and other items to Japan that could be used for military purposes, straining already tense relations between the two countries following the Japanese prime minister’s recent remarks on Taiwan.