South Korean president puts China ahead of Japan in visiting Beijing
North Korea's nuclear programme and trade relations will be high on the agenda during a three-day state visit that signals Seoul's new priorities
Pyongyang's nuclear programme is set to top the agenda when South Korean President Park Geun-hye arrives in Beijing tomorrow for a three-day summit with President Xi Jinping.
The state visit is Park's second since she came to power in February. The first was to the United States last month. In the past, South Korean leaders have traditionally visited Tokyo before Beijing.
Park told senior South Korean officials that her priorities during the visit would include peacekeeping initiatives with North Korea, the success of which she said "largely depends on how much co-operation she can get from China", reported.
Analysts say the timing is perfect for Seoul to get Beijing to exert more pressure on North Korea.
"When Xi met Obama recently, the leaders prided themselves on being on the same page regarding North Korea's nuclear situation, and when Park met Obama recently, the outcome was the same," said Jaewoo Choo, from the department of Chinese studies at Kyung Hee University in Seoul. "It is only logical that Beijing and Seoul will find common ground now too."
