China's State Media: President-Elect Yoon Seok-yeol Will Be Tested in China Relations

NATO's Invitation to South Korea's Foreign Minister Implies Pressure to Side with the U.S.
Relations with the U.S. May Grow Closer After President-Elect Yoon's Inauguration

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] Chinese state media expressed concern that South Korea and Japan, U.S. allies, were invited to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) foreign ministers' meeting, suggesting that South Korea and Japan could cooperate more closely with the United States.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

The state-run Global Times claimed this in an article titled "The U.S. and NATO to push a joint front with Asia-Pacific allies to pressure China and Russia" on the 8th.

The media reported that South Korea and Japan were invited to the NATO foreign ministers' meeting for the first time, with South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa attending the NATO foreign ministers' meeting held in Brussels, Belgium. It added that the four major Asia-Pacific countries, including South Korea, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, were invited to the NATO meeting.

The Global Times argued that the U.S. invited Asia-Pacific countries such as South Korea to the NATO meeting to isolate Russia and claimed that the U.S. is forcing Asia-Pacific countries to side with the United States.

Li Kaisheng, Deputy Director of the International Relations Institute at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, said, "The U.S. has been trying to contain China in the Asia-Pacific region," adding, "The invitation of the four countries including South Korea will help NATO's global expansion, especially the U.S.'s power expansion into Asia." He further stated, "South Korea and Japan have wanted to play a bigger role in regional and international issues," and predicted, "Attending the NATO foreign ministers' meeting could lead to closer cooperation with the U.S."

The Global Times noted that President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, who is about to take office, has emphasized strengthening the South Korea-U.S. security alliance and expressed concern that relations between South Korea and the U.S. could become closer once Yoon takes office in May. The media also claimed that Yoon will face a test in maintaining relations with China.

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

Yang Xiyu, a researcher at the China Institute of International Studies, warned, "We have seen NATO conduct more military operations outside NATO, such as in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars," adding, "The U.S. and NATO will further expand into the South China Sea, East China Sea, and the Asia-Pacific region."

In this regard, Zhao Lijian, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated, "China's position on NATO's eastward expansion is very clear," adding, "NATO is a product of the Cold War and should disappear into history." He also recommended that relevant countries pay attention to NATO's development.

The Global Times warned that NATO's Asia-Pacific expansion targets China and that the expansion by NATO and the U.S. will cause conflicts and create turmoil in regional security.

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