The diplomatic friction caused by the Chinese ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming’s remarks that “betting on the United States to win and China to lose is obviously a misjudgment” continues: After the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Xing Haiming and expressed protest against his “provocative behavior”, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Immediately afterwards, he also met with the South Korean ambassador to China, expressing his dissatisfaction with Seoul’s “inappropriate response”.
(Deutsche Welle Chinese website) inSouth Korea’s foreign ministry summoned Chinese ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming on FridayBeijing followed suit on Saturday. According to the DPA report, Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Nong Rong summoned South Korean Ambassador to China Chung Jae-ho on June 10 to lodge representations over South Korea’s inappropriate response to the Chinese Ambassador to South Korea’s meeting with South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung. concern and dissatisfaction.
The new round of friction between China and South Korea was caused by Chinese ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming accusing Seoul of being influenced by the United States and disrespecting Beijing’s core concerns, including the Taiwan issue, during a meeting with Lee Jae-myung, leader of South Korea’s largest opposition party, the Common Democratic Party.
According to the website of the Chinese embassy in South Korea, Xing Haiming emphasized during the meeting with Li Zaiming that the current China-South Korea relations have encountered considerable difficulties, and “the responsibility does not lie with China.” He emphasized that “China has always respected South Korea’s core concerns, and South Korea should also respect China’s core concern. The Taiwan issue is the core of China’s core interests and concerns the foundation of China-ROK relations. I hope that the ROK can abide by its commitments and earnestly respect China’s core concerns on Taiwan and other issues.”
File photo: Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming
Xing Haiming also called on “South Korea to get rid of the interference of external factors when handling relations with China.” He said that the United States is trying its best to suppress China. “Some people bet that the United States will win and China will lose. This is obviously a misjudgment, and they have not seen the historical trend…Those who bet on China to lose now will definitely regret it in the future.”
The Chinese diplomat’s remarks aroused strong dissatisfaction from the Seoul government. On June 9, South Korea’s first official (deputy minister) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Zhang Huzhen summoned the Chinese ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming and expressed strong regret for his “violating diplomatic etiquette and absurd provocative actions.” In a statement from South Korea’s foreign ministry, Jang Ho-jin warned that it was “intolerable” for the Chinese embassy in South Korea to use “inaccurate facts” to criticize the host country’s policies, and that such remarks could be seen as “injury to South Korea’s domestic politics.” put one’s oar in”.
China-South Korea relations: do business first, then discuss strategic interests?
“The Taiwan issue is also a global issue”
In an exclusive interview with Archyde.com on April 19, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yue said that South Korea stands with the international community and opposes attempts to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait by force. He also said: “The Taiwan issue is not only an issue between China and Taiwan, but also a global issue just like the North Korean issue.” unacceptable”. On the same day, South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also summoned the Chinese ambassador to South Korea to express protest over China’s comment on the South Korean president’s Taiwan-related speech. The relationship between the two countries has once again cast a shadow. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations 30 years ago, what kind of development has China-ROK relations experienced?
China-South Korea relations: do business first, then discuss strategic interests?
Diplomatic relations were only established in the 1990s
On August 24, 1992, the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Korea officially established diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level, ending the long history of mutual non-recognition and mutual isolation between the two countries. The picture shows South Korean Foreign Minister Lee Sang-ok (front left) and Chinese Foreign Minister Qian Qichen signing and exchanging a joint communique on the establishment of diplomatic relations in Beijing. The day before, South Korea announced the severance of diplomatic relations with the Republic of China, making Taiwan lose its last diplomatic relationship with Asia.
China-South Korea relations: do business first, then discuss strategic interests?
South Korean President’s First Visit
In September 1992, then South Korean President Roh Tae-woo (1995 file photo) visited China a few weeks after the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. He met with Jiang Zemin, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, State President Yang Shangkun, Premier Li Peng and others. The two sides signed a series of cooperation agreements such as the China-Korea Trade Agreement and the China-Korea Investment Protection Agreement.
China-South Korea relations: do business first, then discuss strategic interests?
From comprehensive cooperation to strategic partnership
From the late 1990s to the early 2000s, during the tenure of South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, China-South Korea relations were elevated to a “comprehensive cooperative partnership for the 21st century.” In May 2008, when then South Korean President Lee Myung-bak visited China, the relationship between the two countries was once again upgraded to a “strategic partnership”. The photo shows Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao being welcomed by Lee Myung-bak during his visit to South Korea in May 2010.
China-South Korea relations: do business first, then discuss strategic interests?
Mutual exchange
Since the end of the last century, business, cultural and personnel exchanges between South Korea and China have become increasingly close. According to the data in 2021, there are more than 50,000 Korean students studying in China, and more than 20,000 Chinese students studying in South Korea, and each ranks first in the number of foreign students studying in the other country. China has become a popular choice for South Korean companies to invest. Korean pop culture has a large following in China. South Korea was also once a popular tourist destination for Chinese people. The picture shows Chinese tourists in front of Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul (2014).
China-South Korea relations: do business first, then discuss strategic interests?
“Honeymoon period”
Park Geun-hye (pictured: attending the G20 summit in Hangzhou in 2016) also visited Beijing many times during her tenure as South Korean president. Xi Jinping also visited South Korea in 2014. The relationship between China and South Korea is considered to have entered a “honeymoon period”. contacts have become closer.
China-South Korea relations: do business first, then discuss strategic interests?
THAAD incident
In view of the security threat posed to South Korea by North Korea’s development of nuclear weapons capabilities, in 2016, the South Korean government decided to deploy the US THAAD anti-missile system. Because its radar has the potential ability to detect the Chinese side, it is considered by China to have an impact on its homeland security. After the objection was invalid, Beijing took a number of countermeasures against South Korea, including banning performances by South Korean media and artists, and travel blockade. These measures also led to a rapid cooling of Sino-South Korean relations.
China-South Korea relations: do business first, then discuss strategic interests?
Harm to South Korean companies
Since the land where the THAAD system was deployed was exchanged from the Seoul government to the South Korean Lotte Group, the retail giant has become the target of Chinese official and private retaliation. For a while, consumers boycotted Lotte, demonstrated and protested, and even suppliers cut off supply. Dozens of Lotte supermarkets were “ordered to close down.” In addition, sales of South Korean brands such as Samsung mobile phones and Kia Motors also plummeted. Chinese travel agencies have removed Korean tours from the shelves one after another, which has impacted the Korean tourism industry.
China-South Korea relations: do business first, then discuss strategic interests?
“Three No Limits” Consensus
In November 2017, China and South Korea reached a consensus. The South Korean side stated that it would not consider adding a new THAAD system; impose necessary restrictions on the use of the existing THAAD system; not join the US anti-missile system; Military alliances and unintentional damage to China’s security interests. After then-President Moon Jae-in visited China in 2017, relations between the two countries began to ease.
China-South Korea relations: do business first, then discuss strategic interests?
opportunity or threat
China is South Korea’s largest trading partner, export market and source of imports, while South Korea is China’s third largest trading partner. Among South Korea’s largest single source of income, semiconductor exports, exports to China account for more than 40%. According to a questionnaire survey conducted by South Korea’s “Joongang Daily” in August 2022, 19.3% of the respondents believed that China’s rise was an “opportunity”, while 75.4% of the respondents believed that it was a “threat”. The picture shows South Korean people protesting against the Moon Jae-in government’s friendly policy with North Korea unfurling anti-China slogans (Seoul, April 2018).
China-South Korea relations: do business first, then discuss strategic interests?
which side to lean on
The current South Korean President Yoon Seok-yue (right) has shown a more active approach to the United States after taking office in May 2022, saying that he will accelerate the deployment and construction of the THAAD system. South Korea officially joined the “Indo-Pacific Economic Framework” (IPEF) led by the United States in May 2022, and announced in August that it would join the “Quadruple Chip Alliance” led by the United States, including Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Including technology export controls to China.
China-South Korea relations: do business first, then discuss strategic interests?
South Korea’s ‘security concerns’
There are indications that South Korea is trying to reduce its economic dependence on China. On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and South Korea in 2022, Sun Xingjie, deputy director of the Institute of International Relations of Jilin University, wrote in “Ming Pao” that China and South Korea need to expand cooperation areas and communicate and coordinate on security issues. plate”. The picture shows the THAAD missile defense system deployed in Xingzhou County, South Korea (September 2017 data map).
According to Yonhap News Agency, during a meeting with the South Korean ambassador to China on Saturday, Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Nong Rong explained to Zheng Zaihao China’s views and positions on the current China-South Korea relations, and pointed out that Ambassador Xing Haiming’s extensive contacts and exchanges with people from all walks of life in South Korea are his key points. The purpose of the responsibility is to enhance understanding, promote cooperation, maintain and promote the development of China-ROK relations.
The South Korean embassy in China announced on its official website that afternoon that Chung Jae-ho also told Nongrong that the remarks made by the Chinese ambassador to South Korea when meeting with the leader of the South Korean opposition party violated diplomatic practice, were unreasonable, provocative and inconsistent with the facts. He has expressed serious concerns about this and conveyed the solemn protest of the South Korean side.
Relations between China and South Korea have been tense recently. Both South Korea and Japan are close allies of the United States in East Asia. When talking about the situation in the Taiwan Strait, South Korean President Yin Xiyue once said that South Korea stands with the international community and opposes attempts to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait by force. He also said: “The Taiwan issue is not only an issue between China and Taiwan, but also, like the North Korea issue, it is a global issue.”