South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin, who visited China, met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Qingdao, Shandong Province, China today (9th).
I wonder how the two foreign ministers will behave in the tense diplomatic relations between the U.S., China, Japan and Taiwan. Minister Park and Commissioner Wang held an hour and 40 minutes of small-scale talks at the Jimo Goseong Gunran Hotel in Jimo-ku, Qingdao City, before starting an expanded meeting. In his remarks at all the expanded talks, Wang said, “We need to organize the beneficial experiences that have achieved success so far with the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations and understand the big phases of bilateral relations.” “For the next 30 years, the two sides should maintain independence and not be affected by external obstacles,” he said. “We should maintain good friendship and consider each other’s grave concerns.”
He then said, “We should maintain a win-win and protect a stable and smooth supply chain and industrial network, and maintain equality and respect and not interfere with each other’s internal affairs.” It seems that the U.S. is targeting interference in domestic affairs.South Korea already has its first trade deficit with China.In addition, he stressed that “multilateralism should be maintained,” and that these five are “the biggest commitment of the will of the people of China and the inevitable demand of the trend of the times.”
The statement that “independence should be maintained” is interpreted as mindful of the situation in which instability in Korea-China relations is increasing due to the U.S.-China strategic competition. China seems to be trying to clarify South Korea’s stance as China proclaims one China of Taiwan
In addition, protecting the smooth supply chain and not interfering in the internal affairs seems to include expectations that the U.S.-led restructuring of the semiconductor supply chain, which Korea also participates, will not flow exclusively to its own country and implications for the Taiwan issue.
Citing the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Wang cited Confucius’s quote of “three years” and stressed that “China-Korea relations, which have been tested by rain and wind, should naturally become more mature, more independent and solid.” In response, Minister Park said, “The two countries, which have been together for a long time to mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations, should create a cooperative Korea-China relationship that pursues common interests based on mutual respect.” He said, “We will seek cooperation with China in accordance with national interests and principles,” and that he expects the two countries to carry out win-win cooperation for freedom, peace and prosperity based on “universal values and norms of mankind.” In particular, he said, “Peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula are now unprecedentedly threatened,” and that based on the consistent principle of North Korea’s complete denuclearization, the door to dialogue will always be open. “We ask China to play a constructive role in making North Korea choose dialogue instead of provocations.” In addition, he said, “The international community is facing an era of great change,” stressing that the two countries, which have developed close economic relations, should overcome new challenges together through stable management of supply chains. “To this end, Korea and China should strengthen strategic communication at the highest level as a strategic cooperative partnership,” he said. “We look forward to President Xi Jinping’s visit to Korea at a convenient time.” This is the second face-to-face meeting between Park and Wang. The two ministers held their first face-to-face talks in Bali, Indonesia, early last month, following the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting. As this is the first visit of Yoon Seok-yeol, a high-level official of the government, it is expected that discussions on various Korea-China relations will take place in earnest. The talks began in a relatively friendly atmosphere. Wang, who arrived at the small-time acquisition meeting first, greeted Korean reporters in Korean, saying, “Hello,” and made friendly gestures, saying, “I like Korean food,” saying, “I can speak Korean.” When Minister Park hoped for Commissioner Wang’s visit to Korea by the end of this year even in all his remarks at the expanded talks, Commissioner Wang said, “I will go eat jajangmyeon,” which made the audience laugh. The small-personnel meeting, originally expected to be about an hour, took about an hour and 40 minutes, and as the small-personnel meeting usually involves discussions on major strategic interests of the two countries, including the Korean Peninsula, attention is being paid to what the two ministers discussed.
SOPHIA KIM
ASIA JOURNAL
