Park to Meet Xi on June 27

President Park Geun-hye's state visit to China has now been fixed for June 27-30. She is to meet her counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing on June 27. This is Park's second summit with a foreign leader after she met U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington in May.

Park and Xi are expected to discuss peace on the Korean Peninsula, including denuclearization in North Korea, expanding trade including a free trade pact, and fostering peaceful cooperation in Northeast Asia.

Park believes China is crucial in addressing the nuclear issue, and will urge Xi to cooperate. After the summit, the two leaders will publish a joint statement on their future vision of ties.

Cheong Wa Dae spokeswoman Kim Haeng said the summit comes at a time when the two countries are designing "a new vision of bilateral relations for the next 20 years based on the remarkable development the two countries have achieved since diplomatic relations were established" in 1992.

Park met Xi for the first time in July 2005, when he visited South Korea as the party secretary of Zhejiang Province.