Overview
- On January 7, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung visited the former offices of the 1919 Provisional Government in Shanghai and said the Chinese and Korean struggles for independence would anchor bilateral solidarity.
- Chinese media and officials are reported to be preparing to use the visit’s anti-Japanese symbolism to criticize Tokyo following Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments about a Taiwan contingency.
- Seoul described the stop as a routine part of a summit trip, noting that past presidents have made similar visits and that the Provisional Government’s legitimacy is recognized in South Korea’s constitution.
- Lee said relations with Japan are as important as ties with China and is scheduled to meet Takaichi in Nara next week.
- During earlier stops, Lee told Xi Jinping that China and Korea fought together during periods of lost sovereignty and told Shanghai party chief Chen Jining that the city was a base for Korea’s independence struggle.