State visit frames high‑level business forum and summit preparation. President Lee Jae Myung traveled to Beijing for a state visit that includes a Korea‑China business forum and a summit with President Xi Jinping, positioning economic cooperation at the core of diplomatic talks [2][3]. The forum convenes senior executives from both nations, aiming to expand collaboration in semiconductors, batteries, culture and other strategic sectors [2]. It serves as a platform for aligning trade and investment priorities ahead of the bilateral summit [2][3].

KCCI‑organized delegation marks first large‑scale mission since 2019. About 200 corporate leaders, led by SK Group Chairman Chey Tae‑won, Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae‑yong and LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang‑mo, departed Seoul under the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s banner [3]. This mission is the KCCI’s first business delegation to China in several years, underscoring renewed commitment to deepen industrial ties [3]. Delegates will participate in a roundtable on the summit’s sidelines, focusing on joint opportunities in high‑tech supply chains [3].

Nine memorandums of understanding cover consumer, content and supply‑chain sectors. At the forum, Korean and Chinese firms signed nine MOUs that span consumer‑goods exports, digital content cooperation and advanced manufacturing [1]. Notable agreements include Shinsegae’s partnership with Alibaba International to sell Korean products online, and collaborations to boost Korean food and beauty exports [1]. Technology deals involve SWM and Lenovo developing a Level‑4 autonomous‑vehicle computing platform and Keosung with BF Nano Tech building a materials factory for power generation and water treatment [1].

Chinese side brings top trade, energy and finance officials, plus cultural players. Attendees include Ren Hongbin of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Sinopec Group chairman Fu Qijun, China Energy Engineering Group’s Ni Zhen and ICBC chairman Liao Lin [2]. The forum also invites executives from TCL, CATL, LANCY, Tencent and ZTE, reflecting a broad industry spectrum [2]. Inclusion of SM Entertainment’s CEO Jang Cheol‑hyuk and Krafton’s CEO Kim Chang‑han highlights a push to expand cultural and gaming collaborations [2].

Existing Korean manufacturing footprint reinforces supply‑chain discussions. Samsung, SK Hynix, Hyundai and LG Energy Solution already operate semiconductor, automotive and battery plants across Chinese cities such as Xian, Chongqing, Wuxi, Beijing and Nanjing [3]. These assets provide a concrete base for the newly signed MOUs and future joint projects in autonomous vehicles and advanced materials [1][3]. The combined diplomatic and corporate engagement aims to solidify a resilient Korea‑China economic partnership.