President Lee Receives Electric Bicycle from Xi Jinping, Says 'Sorry Our Gift Was Modest'

[Financial News] During his state visit to China, President Lee Jae-myung received an electric bicycle, Chinese porcelain, a coffee cup set, and a painting from Chinese President Xi Jinping.
On the 8th, outlets such as News1 reported that President Xi presented these gifts to President Lee during the Korea-China summit held in Beijing on the 5th.
During President Lee’s visit to China, Cheong Wa Dae (the Blue House) did not disclose the list of gifts, in accordance with the Chinese custom of not revealing gifts given in private settings.
President Xi also reportedly prepared a separate gift of apples and dried persimmons. This was said to be a gesture of reciprocity for the Hwangnam bread from Gyeongju that President Lee had given to President Xi and the Chinese delegation during their visit for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit last October.

At the previous APEC summit, President Xi had given President Lee a Xiaomi smartphone. This time, he presented an electric bicycle, a product for which China is the global leader in production.
President Lee also gifted President Xi a Korean folk painting depicting a qilin, a mythical Chinese creature symbolizing peace and prosperity. To Peng Liyuan, President Xi’s wife, he presented traditional accessories such as Norigae and K-beauty products.
During a press conference with the traveling press corps on the 7th, President Lee remarked, “When exchanging gifts, I noticed that they had prepared a lot, while our preparations were rather modest, which made me feel sorry.” He added, “Compared to what we received, our gifts seemed a bit small, and I wondered if we had been too reserved.”
y27k@fnnews.com Seo Yoon-kyung Reporter