Five things to watch for when South Korean leader Moon Jae-in meets Chinese President Xi Jinping
Relations between the neighbours have been frosty for over a year, but hopes are high the presidents can melt the ice
South Korean President Moon Jae-in arrived in Beijing on Wednesday morning and observers will be watching closely to see if his four-day visit can help bring about a thaw in diplomatic relations between two of Asia’s largest economies.
Moon made it clear that the aim of his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping was to “normalise” ties, which became strained in July last year after Beijing raged over South Korea’s deployment of a US missile system.
Because of their economic strength, a good relationship between the two countries is seen as crucial to maintaining regional peace and stability, but what are the presidents likely to discuss?
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North Korea
The matter of how to curb their restive neighbour’s nuclear weapons programme is likely to top the agenda when Xi and Moon meet on Thursday, according to South Korea’s national security office.
Both countries have a border with North Korea, which just two weeks ago test-fired its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile yet, raising tensions around the world.