Chinese president to hold talks with Samsung execs

Chinese president Xi Jinping is set to hold talks with Samsung Electronics vice chairman Jay-yong Lee during a visit to South Korea next week.

Jay-yong Lee is the eldest child of Samsung Group chairman and family patriarch Kun-hee Lee, who recently stepped aside from day-to-day duties after suffering from a heart attack, from which he is still recovering.

According to reports in the Joongang Daily, Xi is expected to visit a number of sites owned by the conglomerate, which makes up around one-fifth of South Korea’s total economy.

During the visit, which runs July 3-4, Xi is expected to bring along a pair of pandas as a gift for South Korean President Park Geun-hye, which will be housed at Samsung’s Everland theme park, and visit the Samsung Innovation Museum.

“President Xi Jinping will likely visit some places in Korea and people presume that Samsung will be one of the places based on the vice chairman’s friendly relationship with him,” a Samsung official told the Joongang Daily.

“Samsung also recently built a semiconductor plant in [the Chinese city of] Xian.”

According to a separate report in The Korea Herald, the visit marks Xi’s third visit to a Samsung facility, and follows earlier discussions with the Samsung president in February 2010 and April 2013.

For its part, the Samsung Group is remaining quiet about the visit, saying no official meeting has been confirmed.