Xi's visit to the ROK also poses a challenge to Japan. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his fellow leaders are promoting rightist, ultra-nationalistic policies, and denying the atrocities committed by the Japanese imperial army before and during World War II. Perhaps the most disturbing move of the Abe administration is the reinterpretation of Article 9 of the country's Constitution to enable the Japanese military to take part in collective self-defense operations, which is equally worrisome to China and the ROK.

On issues of historical distortion by Japan, the ROK and China should establish a mechanism to make an international case by exposing the lies Abe and his fellow leaders have been spreading both at home and abroad. Efforts to punish the guilty and provide compensation for victims will be supported by civil society organizations across the globe.

The meeting between Xi and Park is likely to expedite the signing of a China-ROK free trade area (FTA) agreement. The benefits accruing from such an FTA could even prompt Japan to join it later. And a China-ROK-Japan FTA will not only create a huge market, but also help deepen political cooperation among the three principal countries of Northeast Asia. In accordance with the tenets of liberalism, free trade tends to reduce conflicts and generate common interests.

The relationship between the ROK and China has often been termed "hot in economy, cold in politics", because the two countries have not made as much progress in the political field as on the economic front. Perhaps Xi's visit to the ROK will improve bilateral political ties to the extent that their overall relationship could be termed "hot in economy, warm in politics". This, however, will depend on how the two leaders narrow the gap in their views on the DPRK and how much concrete common measures they agree to take.

The author is a professor in the Department of Political Science and Diplomacy at Pusan National University, the Republic of Korea.