China–South Korea relations

The People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of Korea (South Korea) formally established modern diplomatic relations in May 1988. South Korea was the last Asian country to establish relations with the People's Republic of China. In recent years, China and South Korea have endeavored to boost their strategic and cooperative partnership in numerous sectors, as well as promoting a high-level relationship. Trade, tourism and multiculturalism, specifically, have been the most important factors of strengthening the two neighbouring countries' cooperative partnership. Despite this, historical, political and cultural disputes have still played several roles on the relations between South Korea and China, especially with China being politically aligned with North Korea. Additionally, public opinion in South Korea is overwhelmingly negative towards China.

Both nations have had close ties that reach back thousands of years, which were especially cooperative during the Song and Ming Dynasty, which cooperated with Goryeo and the Joseon Dynasty respectively. The Ming and Joseon emerged after the invasion of the Mongols and shared close Confucian ideals in its society. Furthermore, the Ming had assisted Joseon during Toyotomi Hideyoshi's invasion of Korea, in which the Wanli Emperor sent a total of 221,500 troops. Joseon had also used Classical Chinese as a common script alongside Korean, and its central government was modelled after the Chinese system.

During the Cold War, China and South Korea were in opposing sides, with China supporting North Korea during the Korean War. Unofficial contacts between the two countries started in the 1970s and 1980s, both during the Sino-Soviet split, and official relations were established in 1988. Contemporary relations between China and South Korea are characterized by extensive trading and economic relations. China is by far South Korea's largest trading partner, with China importing goods worth $168 billion from South Korea in 2024, which comprised 25% of South Korea's total exports. 23% of South Korea's imports also came from China, worth $139 billion in 2024. In 2015, China and South Korea signed the bilateral China–South Korea Free Trade Agreement. In November 2020, China and South Korea, along with 13 other Asia-Pacific nations, signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.

Relations deteriorated considerably after South Korea announced its intentions to deploy THAAD, a move that China strongly opposed. China imposed an unofficial boycott on South Korea in an attempt to stop them from deploying the missile system. However, at the end of October 2017, the two countries ended the 1-year-long diplomatic dispute and have been working swiftly to get their relationship back on track since, strengthening exchanges and cooperation between each other, creating harmony of interests, and agreeing to resume exchanges and cooperation in all areas. All economic and cultural bans from China towards South Korea were also lifted partially as a result, with political and security cooperation, businesses and cultural exchanges between the two countries getting back to healthy state. Upon the relationship's resumption, China and South Korea have been organizing presidential and governmental visits, working together on the Korean Peninsula, assisting with the development of other countries, and cooperating in numerous areas.