Presidential Office: "Sufficient Diplomatic Space with China... Able to Discuss Global Issues"

Government Diplomacy, "It's Hard to Agree" with the Evaluation of Being 'US-Centric'

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] The Presidential Office stated on the 16th that "there is still ample diplomatic space with China." This was in response to analyses that President Yoon Seok-yeol's recent Southeast Asia tour was 'U.S.-centric,' emphasizing that "there are platforms to discuss global issues such as climate change and supply chain problems beyond bilateral matters with China."

A senior official from the Presidential Office told reporters at the Yongsan Presidential Office building in Seoul that "from the Cold War era to the post-Cold War period, the ROK-U.S. alliance has played a central role in South Korea's diplomacy and security," highlighting this point.

The official particularly stressed, "It is difficult to agree with the view that our government's diplomacy is solely U.S.-centric." He added, "There is sufficient space to contribute together with China on so-called 'global' issues."

Regarding the possibility of economic retaliation from China, the official explained, "Third countries in the international community dissatisfied with the comprehensive cooperation among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan may impose economic coercive measures." However, he requested, "Please understand this from a general perspective," and urged, "Avoid interpretations that suggest the ROK-U.S.-Japan cooperation is focused solely on China."

Earlier, President Yoon and Chinese President Xi Jinping held their first summit on the 15th. During his presidential candidate period in March, President Yoon had exchanged greetings with President Xi via a phone call. In their first face-to-face meeting, the two leaders reaffirmed the importance of bilateral relations. President Yoon emphasized, "Based on a consensus to open a new era of Korea-China cooperation, our government will closely communicate with China and cooperate to build a mature Korea-China relationship based on mutual respect and reciprocity." President Xi also stated, "Korea and China are inseparable close neighbors and partners," adding, "The calls and letters we exchanged show how highly we value Korea-China relations."

Differences emerged regarding the North Korean nuclear issue. President Yoon pointed out North Korea's provocations and nuclear threats, emphasizing, "As a permanent member of the Security Council and a neighboring country, we expect China to take a more active role." However, President Xi responded, "We hope South Korea will actively improve inter-Korean relations." Regarding President Yoon's 'Bold Initiative,' President Xi added a caveat, saying "if North Korea responds," indicating a priority on North Korea's stance. The day before, President Xi also expressed at the U.S.-China summit the existing view that North Korea's legitimate concerns should be addressed in a balanced manner.

Nonetheless, the two leaders evaluated that exchanges and cooperation between Korea and China have grown dramatically since establishing diplomatic relations in 1992. Marking the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties, they agreed to further mature bilateral relations based on mutual respect, reciprocity, and common interests. In particular, to jointly overcome complex challenges such as the pandemic, global economic downturn, and climate change, they decided to actively promote regular high-level dialogues between the two countries.

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