South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung arrived in China on Sunday to hold talks with Xi Jinping, with the hope of improving Seoul's ties with Beijing and promoting peace in the Korean Peninsula.

Lee's visit came just hours after North Korea fired ballistic missiles from Pyongyang towards the sea.

Are ties between China and South Korea deepening?

In the last six years, no other South Korean leader has visited Beijing, and Lee's meeting with Xi will be his second in two months. 

Lee's four-day trip to China is also his first since he took office in June last year and comes amid heightened tensions over China's military drills around Taiwan, over which China claims sovereignty.

While China's aggression towards Taiwan was condemned internationally and provoked a reaction from Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who suggested in November that Tokyo could take military action if Beijing attacked Taiwan, South Korea sidestepped. 

On the economic front, Lee is trying for South Korea and China to work towards "more horizontal and mutually beneficial" trade.  

What to expect from Lee and Xi's meeting?

On his visit to Beijing, Lee is joined by a delegation of more than 200 business and tech leaders.

These included Samsung Electronics Chairman Jay Y. ⁠Lee, SK Group chairman ​Chey Tae-won and Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung, according to photos ‌published by South Korea's ‌Yonhap News Agency.

During his visit, Lee is going to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and hold talks to boost economic cooperation and to leverage China’s influence over North Korea to bolster his efforts to improve relations with Pyongyang.

The two leaders are expected to meet on Monday and discuss matters such as supply chain investment, the digital economy and cultural exchanges during Lee's visit, Chinese state news broadcaster CCTV reported.

Edited by: Sean Sinico