[Office of the President] "U.S.-China Summit Discussed Korean Peninsula Issue... 'Busan Consensus' Trend Continues"

U.S.-China Summit Held in Washington, D.C.

Office of the President: "Ukraine and Middle East Issues Discussed... Still Assessing Details"

Office of the President: "Trade Conflict Suspension Period Short... Premature to Judge Long-Term Stabil

The Blue House stated on the 24th (local time) that the U.S.-China summit held in Washington, D.C. reflects a continuation of the relationship management approach between the U.S. and China that began in Busan last year during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju. However, it noted that the period for suspending trade conflicts was explained as relatively short, making it too early to conclude that the relationship between the two countries has entered a phase of long-term stability. During the summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, discussions also covered the Korean Peninsula, the war in Ukraine, and Middle East issues.

During a press briefing held in Mexico City in conjunction with President Lee Jaemyung’s state visit to Mexico, a senior Blue House official told reporters, "Although I have not yet grasped the full details, I understand that the Korean Peninsula issue was discussed. As far as I understand, issues regarding the Korean Peninsula, Ukraine, and the Middle East were discussed." Earlier, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs also announced that the two leaders exchanged views at the White House on major international and regional issues, including the situation in the Middle East, the Ukraine crisis, and the Korean Peninsula.

However, the senior Blue House official pointed out that it is not unusual for the Korean Peninsula issue to be addressed at a U.S.-China summit. He said, "It has usually been the case that the Korean Peninsula issue is discussed at U.S.-China summits," and added, regarding the North Korea issue, "We need to determine the specific details of what views the two leaders exchanged."

The Blue House analyzed that this summit is an extension of the agenda established during the summit in Busan last year, referring to it as the 'Busan Consensus.' The senior Blue House official explained, "For a while, U.S.-China relations had been moving towards greater confrontation and rivalry, but in Busan last year, both parties reached a general agreement to set a framework and manage their relationship. Experts refer to this as the 'Busan Consensus.'"

Furthermore, the official assessed that this approach developed into a more concrete form of a "constructive and strategic stable relationship" during the summit held in Beijing this past May. He said, "It was explained that a certain management framework is also being established in key contentious areas such as supply chains and trade—the main sources of conflict. It appears that the consensus reached in Busan was made more concrete in Beijing, and this trend is continuing."

Nevertheless, the Blue House remains cautious about concluding that U.S.-China relations have entered a long-term stable trajectory. Of particular note was the limited duration of the suspension measures surrounding U.S. tariffs and China's export controls. The senior Blue House official stated, "There was an agreement to suspend U.S. tariff impositions and China’s export controls, and it seems the suspension is still in effect. However, whether the suspension period would be long or short was one of the key issues, and based on the announcement, it does not appear to be a long period."

He added, "It does not seem that a very stable, long-term relationship has been established; rather, it feels that for the moment, the focus is on managing the relationship, but the period for doing so appears short. We will need to analyze the details as more information becomes available."

Meanwhile, the Blue House assessed that efforts to manage the risk of U.S.-China conflict themselves are a positive environment for Korea. The senior Blue House official said, "The continued management and stabilization of U.S.-China relations is basically positive for countries in our position," but he also noted, "To determine just how positive, we will need to conduct further analysis as additional information becomes available."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.