China and South Korea pledge to bolster ties as regional tensions rise
Associated Press
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In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, visiting South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, center, and Chinese President Xi Jinping is welcomed by children waving both countries national flags and flowers after inspecting a guard of honor during a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing, Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. (Shen Hong/Xinhua via AP)In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, visiting South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, left, shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping prior to their bilateral meeting at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing, Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. (Yue Yuewei/Xinhua via AP)In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping, sixth left, talks to South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, sixth right, during the bilateral meeting at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing, Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. (Liu Bin/Xinhua via AP)In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, visiting South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, center left, and his wife Kim Hea Kyung, left, stand with Chinese President Xi Jinping, center right, and his wife Peng Liyuan, right, as they pose for a photo shoot at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing, Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. (Xie Huanchi/Xinhua via AP)
Xinhua
In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, visiting South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, center, and Chinese President Xi Jinping is welcomed by children waving both countries national flags and flowers after inspecting a guard of honor during a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing, Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. (Shen Hong/Xinhua via AP)