Chinese President Xi Jinping and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung held talks on Saturday, discussing ways to advance practical cooperation between the two countries and the progress on the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

It was the first one-on-one meeting between Xi and Lee since the latter assumed office in June. The meeting took place at Gyeongju National Museum, the same venue where Lee and US President Donald Trump held a summit on Wednesday.

This is Xi’s first state visit to South Korea since 2014.

Lee has positioned himself as a centrist aiming to redefine South Korea’s diplomacy.

He has pledged a “pragmatic” foreign policy that prioritises South Korea’s crucial military alliance with the United States, which Seoul relies on for military security to deter North Korea, while carefully managing relations with China and Russia.