Chinese Ambassador to Korea Xing Haiming announced on the 27th that he hopes for the development of Korea-China relations without mutual interference.
Ambassador Xing delivered a congratulatory address to a forum hosted by the Global Strategic Cooperation Institute held at the Ambassador Pullman Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul on the theme of ‘Korea-China relations of mutual respect, present and future’, saying, “China and Korea share good neighborly friendship and mutual cooperation.” He said, “I hope to maintain the original intention of establishing diplomatic ties and understand the trends of the era of openness, inclusiveness, cooperation, and coexistence.”
In particular, Ambassador Singh said, “On the basis of mutual respect and mutual prosperity, we want to strengthen communication and cooperation (with Korea), exclude interference, and promote continuous new development in the bilateral relationship.” “We hope to make a greater contribution to the common peace and prosperity of the Northeast Asia region through this,” he said.
Ambassador Singh’s congratulatory speech is interpreted to mean that Korea and China should seek to improve relations, but refrain from saying or doing anything that could be considered as interfering with the interests or internal affairs of the other country.
Chinese authorities also recently took issue with President Yoon Seok-yeol’s remarks regarding Taiwan and the South China Sea during an interview with foreign media, saying, “The Taiwan issue is purely China’s internal affair and no external force can interfere.” “Korea is not a party to the South China Sea issue, so there is no need to get involved.” ” (Mao Ning, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) once responded as follows.
In relation to this, Ambassador Singh said, “As we enter a period of great change for the first time in 100 years, the international and regional situation has undergone significant and complex changes. “Amid these comprehensive conditions, some changes and difficulties have recently emerged in China-Korea relations,” he said, but added, “China and Korea are important neighbors to each other, and the geopolitical bond of belonging to the same Eastern civilization does not change.”
In particular, Ambassador Singh said that there is no change in the interests of Korea and China as “important economic and trade cooperation partners for each other and partners in industrial and supply chain cooperation.” He said, “The blueprint for development between the two countries toward mutually beneficial cooperation has also not changed,” adding, “With these conditions in place, we must develop the China-Korea relationship well.”
Regarding the U.S.-China summit on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit held in San Francisco on the 16th (local time), Ambassador Singh said, “China and the U.S. must strengthen unity and cooperation to jointly respond to global challenges.” “This is not only an obligation between China and the United States, but also an obligation for countries around the world, including China and South Korea,” he added.
The Chinese authorities have been engaged in an all-out competition for hegemony with the United States, but by holding this U.S.-China summit following the recent resumption of high-level exchanges, they are evaluated as agreeing with the principle of ‘managing’ the U.S.-China conflict to prevent it from getting worse. The inner meaning of Ambassador Singh’s congratulatory speech at this forum can be interpreted as the fact that Korea, which has expanded cooperation with the United States under the principle of ‘strengthening and developing the ROK-US alliance,’ also needs to recognize this trend.
Ambassador Singh’s congratulatory speech at the forum that day was read by Pang Kun, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Chinese Embassy in Korea.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.