Analysts believe the meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping could bring indirect benefits to South Korea. Kim Soyoung, an assistant professor at Japan’s Nagoya University of Commerce and Business, told Al Jazeera that if Xi can persuade Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, it would ease pressure on South Korea’s energy supply. The country currently faces challenges due to instability in the strait, through which most of its oil and gas imports from the Gulf region pass.

Seoul is also closely watching whether the United States alters its policy on Taiwan, as any shift could affect the broader security landscape in East Asia. Kim noted that the meeting may influence South Korea’s regional diplomatic strategy and its relations with China, which have improved somewhat under President Lee Jae-myung.

The final round of U.S.-China preparatory talks held in Seoul before the Trump-Xi meeting, attended by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Besent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, is seen as a sign of South Korea’s growing diplomatic role.