Chinese, South Korean companies sign nine cooperation agreements

BEIJING — Chinese and South Korean companies signed nine cooperation agreements, authorities said on Monday, during a state visit by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, their second meeting in just two months. Lee’s visit to China’s capital is the first since he took office in June and comes amid ratcheting global tensions after North Korea launched ballistic missiles and the US attack on Venezuela. The unusually short interval between Xi and Lee’s meetings signals China’s keen interest in boosting economic collaboration and tourism with its neighbor as its relations with Japan have…