For the First Time Ever, 'Daeman' Included in Joint Statement... Will It Agitate China?

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] While the Moon Jae-in administration, which had maintained a moderate distance between the United States and China, is now being evaluated as having moved closer to the U.S. following the recent South Korea-U.S. summit, experts are divided on whether this move will provoke China. On the surface, the joint statement from the summit explicitly mentioned the "Taiwan Strait" and included several sensitive issues such as "freedom of navigation" in the South China Sea, the Quad, and the termination of missile guidelines, which immediately led to predictions that "China will react negatively." There were also concerns that this could negatively affect Chinese President Xi Jinping's planned visit to South Korea.

For now, the government has dismissed these concerns by pointing out that "China" was not explicitly mentioned in the joint statement. Choi Jong-geon, First Vice Foreign Minister, said on the radio on the 24th, "From China's perspective, they will appreciate that South Korea did not explicitly mention China." This contrasts with previous U.S.-Japan joint statements where China was explicitly named, indicating a "different situation." Regarding the termination of missile guidelines, Vice Minister Choi drew a clear line, stating, "We have never considered China in making this decision." He explained that this was merely a general stance on a matter of principle. Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong also described the Taiwan-related expressions as "very general."

Not many experts expect an immediate backlash from China following the South Korea-U.S. summit. This is because, as the government explained, the wording was more refined compared to the U.S.-Japan joint statement. However, it is not difficult to find opinions that the medium- to long-term impact will emerge, especially due to the fact that Taiwan was mentioned explicitly for the first time in the joint statement. Professor Hwang Jae-ho of the International Studies Department at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies analyzed, "It seems the U.S. carefully considered South Korea's position in each expression of the statement," but added, "While China may find it difficult to react immediately, the fact that Taiwan was mentioned for the first time could become a burden on South Korea-China relations in the medium to long term."

Shin Beom-chul, head of the Foreign and Security Center at the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade, expressed concerns that China might retaliate indirectly against Korean companies. He said, "Overall, there is no major problem, but mentioning Taiwan has unfortunately provided China with a pretext to pressure South Korea," adding, "China could impose disadvantages on our companies in legal and invisible ways, such as customs delays."

Accordingly, experts agree that South Korea must maintain constant communication with China through diplomatic channels and thoroughly explain its position to China. On the other hand, Professor Yang Moo-jin of the University of North Korean Studies believes that "China will sufficiently appreciate President Moon's balanced diplomacy."

There are also concerns about negative impacts on the ongoing discussions regarding President Xi's visit to South Korea. Visiting Professor Cho Young-ki of Kookmin University pointed out, "It cannot be said that this issue will have no effect on Xi Jinping's visit," suggesting that the South Korea-China summit could be delayed or postponed to the next administration. Some experts have even analyzed that for Xi's visit to take place, a 'rollback' reversing some of the outcomes of this summit might be necessary.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.