section_path: Political positions/Foreign policy/China
section_name: China
paragraph_text: China
  
  Lee stated that while the United States is South Korea's only ally, China is also a strategic partner. He said, "There is no reason to narrow our range of movement by choosing one or the other side. It is competent diplomacy to make the U.S. and China choose to cooperate with us."
  
  In response to a Korean Chinese performer wearing a hanbok at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Lee criticized China for "robbing and invading" Korean culture. In 2022, Lee said that if a Chinese fishing boat illegally breaks into South Korean waters, he would sink it.
  
  In 2024, Lee criticized President Yoon for unnecessarily "antagonizing" China and creating a trade deficit with the country for the first time in decades. He also criticized Yoon's administration on the issue of Taiwan, saying "We should just say ‘xie xie’ and ‘xie xie’ to Taiwan as well. Why do we interfere in cross-strait relations?"