President Lee Jae Myung departed for China on Sunday for summit talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with the leaders expected to focus on North Korea, economic ties and cultural exchanges. The four-day state visit marks Lee's first to China since taking office in June last year and the first trip by a South Korean president there since 2019. Lee will hold talks with Xi on Monday, marking their second meeting in just two months after they met on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju, South Gyeongsang Province, in early November, when Xi visited South Korea for the first time in 11 years. The visit comes as South Korea seeks to stably manage its relations with China, a key partner in trade, tourism and peace efforts on the Korean Peninsula while also maintaining a strong alliance with the United States under the Lee administration's "pragmatic" diplomatic approach. At the summit, Lee is expected to ask for China's support in improving strained ties with Pyongyang and making progress in the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, which is high on h