Xi and South Korea's new president, Lee Jae-myung, discussed strengthening ties, supporting multilateralism, and promoting regional stability, signaling a possible shift in Seoul's foreign policy toward closer China relations.

Chinese President Xi Jinping held a phone conversation on Tuesday with South Korea’s newly elected President Lee Jae-myung, emphasizing the need to enhance bilateral relations and promote regional stability, according to Chinese state media.

During the call, Xi underscored the importance of the two nations working together to safeguard multilateralism and uphold the principles of free trade, as reported by the state news agency Xinhua.

"A healthy, stable, and continuously deepening China-South Korea relationship aligns with the trend of the times," Xi stated.

He also stressed the necessity of maintaining close bilateral cooperation and coordination in multilateral forums, with the aim of jointly supporting multilateralism and free trade. According to Xi, this approach will help ensure the stability and smooth functioning of global and regional industrial and supply chains.

Additionally, Xi called for both countries to contribute greater certainty to the regional and international landscape. He advocated for elevating the strategic cooperative partnership between China and South Korea to a higher level.

According to China’s state-run People’s Daily, Xi reiterated that a strong and stable partnership between the two nations would support not only regional but also global peace.

The phone call came shortly after Lee Jae-myung secured a landslide election victory last week and has begun signaling what appears to be a shift in South Korea’s foreign policy direction.

While ties between China and South Korea have seen improvement since a 2017 fallout over the deployment of a U.S. missile defense system in South Korea, diplomatic tensions persist, primarily due to Seoul’s efforts to maintain a balance between its relationships with Beijing and Washington.

Under former President Yoon Suk Yeol, South Korea leaned more closely toward the United States and Japan, resulting in strained relations with China.

President Lee, however, has signaled a different approach. He has expressed a commitment to strengthening ties with Beijing, especially in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff policies that have affected both China and South Korea.

Lee has recently emphasized the economic importance of China as a key trading partner. However, he has faced criticism for not taking a clear stance on the security tensions surrounding the Taiwan Strait.