▲ South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (L) and his wife, Kim Hea Kyung (2nd from L), take a selfie with Chinese President Xi Jinping (2nd from R) and his wife, Peng Liyuan, by using a Xiaomi smartphone following a state dinner for the South Korean leader in Beijing on Jan. 5, 2026. The smartphone was gifted to Lee by Xi during their first summit talks in Gyeongju, South Korea, in November 2025. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
▲ President Lee Jae Myung (L) takes a selfie with Chinese President Xi Jinping after a state dinner at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Jan. 5, 2026. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

Lee-China

Lee receives electric bicycle as gift from China's Xi: sources

By Kim Eun-jung

SEOUL, Jan. 8 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung received an electric bicycle from Chinese President Xi Jinping as a gift during his state visit to China, sources said Thursday.

Following their summit talks in Beijing on Monday, Xi presented Lee with an electric bicycle, Chinese ceramics, a coffee cup set and a painting, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The brand of the bicycle was not immediately known, as China did not disclose a detailed list of the gifts. Cheong Wa Dae also declined to reveal the full list, citing China's diplomatic protocol of not publicizing gift details.

Xi also gifted apples and dried persimmons to Lee, the sources said.

They were widely seen as a response to Hwangnam-ppang, a popular pastry from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) host city of Gyeongju, which Lee had given Xi during his previous visit there last November.

In return, Lee presented Xi with a traditional Korean painting symbolizing peace and prosperity, as well as a traditional artwork of a golden dragon. For Xi's wife, Peng Liyuan, Lee gave a traditional ornamental pendant and a beauty device, according to his office.

On the occasion of Lee's visit to China, South Korea also signed an agreement to return a pair of Qing Dynasty stone lion statues that the Kansong Art and Culture Foundation has held since purchasing them in Japan in the 1930s.

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