Lee, Xi discuss lifting of Thaad-era restrictions, black bean noodles and panda loans in Korea-China summit

President Lee Jae Myung and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed a range of topics including the lifting of China's unofficial ban on Korean entertainment, the loaning of more pandas to Seoul.

From left, President Lee Jae Myung takes a selfie with first lady Kim Hea Kyung, Chinese President Xi Jinping and first lady Peng Liyuan with a Xiaomi smartphone during a state dinner at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Jan. 5. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

SHANGHAI — President Lee Jae Myung and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed a range of topics including the lifting of China's unofficial ban on Korean entertainment, the loaning of more pandas to Seoul and the origins of a popular black bean noodle dish during their bilateral summit Monday.

Lee relayed to Xi during his summit with Xi Monday that “Korean stock prices hit an all-time high after the Korea-China summit,” presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a press briefing in Shanghai Tuesday, saying this reflects hopes and expectations for improved bilateral relations.

On Monday, the day of the summit, the benchmark Kospi broke past the 4,500-point mark for the first time.

During the summit, Lee also had candid discussion with Xi on sensitive issues between the two countries, including the lifting of the ban on Hallyu, or the Korean Wave.

Lee was said to have relayed that "Korea and China are close neighbors” and that “coexistence is essential," noting that "resolving anti-China and anti-Korean sentiments is crucial," Kang said. Lee proposed to hold Go and football tournaments between the two countries. He also asked for an additional pair of pandas to be loaned to Gwangju’s Uchi Park, where a national zoo is located.

"Three-foot ice doesn't melt all at once, and fruit falls naturally when ripe," Xi was quoted as saying during the summit by Kang.

This is interpreted as a call for a gradual and phased resolution to China's unofficial ban on entertainment, such as K-pop and dramas.

China has imposed unofficial economic sanctions targeting Korea's entertainment and tourism industries after Korea and the United States agreed to deploy the U.S.-led Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (Thaad) antimissile system to Korea in 2016, leading to a cooling of bilateral relations.

Kang said the remarks could “mean that it is necessary to allow a certain amount of time to pass and that a gradual easing of the Thaad ban is necessary."

When asked if there was any talk of returning popular giant panda Fu Bao to Korea, Kang said Xi mentioned that he hoped “many Koreans will come to see Fu Bao." Korea-born Fu Bao was returned to China in 2024 in keeping with an endangered species conservation agreement.

The two sides also discussed pending bilateral issues, such as China's installation of maritime structures in the Provisional Maritime Zone (PMZ), a jointly managed area in the Yellow Sea.

Xi was said to have relayed it was “something that should be handled at the working level,” Kang said. She said there was “consensus on the need to keep the Yellow Sea peaceful for the stable and long-term development of Korea-China relations, and the idea of addressing this at the working level progressed.”

She noted that Xi didn’t seem “aware of the structures in the Yellow Sea.”

At the state dinner, Lee and Xi Beijing-style jjajangmyeon, a Chinese-inspired black bean sauce noodle dish popular in Korea.

Lee asked whether China had such a menu item, and Xi replied that people in northern China eat something similar.

Lee said the Chinese version "tastes healthier," according to Kang. Korea’s jjajangmyeon, considered to be a variant of China’s zha jiang mian, is seen as a dish made by Chinese migrant workers in Incheon.

They also shared Maotai, a popular Chinese liquor, offered by Xi, though the Chinese leader said he has been cutting back on drinking for his health.

Kang also said that Lee asked his aides to activate the Xiaomi phone gifted by Xi in their first summit and brought it to China.

On Monday, Lee took selfies with Xi, first lady Kim Hea Kyung and Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan after the state banquet hosted at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

The smartphone Lee used to take selfies with Xi and the two countries' first ladies was a device from Chinese tech giant Xiaomi gifted by Xi after their first summit two months ago. Xi gifted two Xiaomi phones after their first summit on Nov. 1 of last year on the margins of the APEC gathering in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang.

Kang said that Xiaomi selfie taken was spontaneous and “and idea President Lee came up with himself.”

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]