Rising Tensions in Korea-China Relations... Chinese Media States "Do Not Want War on the Korean Peninsula" (Comprehensive)

South Korea and China are escalating tensions through a diplomatic spat involving the summoning of each other's ambassadors. While Chinese state media criticized South Korea's diplomatic moves for following the U.S. line, it also indirectly pressured by stating, "China does not want chaos and war on the Korean Peninsula."

According to the South Korean Embassy in China on the 11th, Jeong Jae-ho, the South Korean ambassador to China, criticized Xing Haiming, the Chinese ambassador to South Korea, during a meeting with Nong Rong, the deputy director-general of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the previous day. The embassy stated, "Ambassador Jeong Jae-ho expressed serious concerns and delivered a stern protest regarding the unreasonable, provocative, and factually incorrect remarks made by the Chinese ambassador to South Korea during his meeting with the opposition party leader in our country on the 8th, which violated diplomatic conventions."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Earlier, on the 9th, Jang Ho-jin, the first vice foreign minister, summoned Xing Haiming, the Chinese ambassador to South Korea, after he made remarks targeting the government, including "Those who bet on China's defeat will surely regret it later," during a meeting with Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea. The meeting on the 10th appears to have been held as a protest against this.

On the 11th, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "Nong Rong, deputy director-general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, met with Ambassador Jeong Jae-ho of South Korea yesterday after agreeing to a meeting (Weijian·約見) and raised negotiations regarding South Korea's improper reaction to the exchanges between Ambassador Xing and opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, expressing serious concerns and dissatisfaction." Weijian is a diplomatic term used by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to summon foreign diplomats stationed in China to the ministry or meet them at a separate location to deliver protests, equivalent to South Korea's summoning.

According to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Director-General Nong explained China's position on China-South Korea relations to Ambassador Jeong and claimed, "Ambassador Xing Haiming's contacts and exchanges with various figures in South Korea are part of his duties," adding, "The purpose is to enhance understanding, promote cooperation, and safeguard and advance the development of China-South Korea relations." He further stated, "We hope the South Korean side reflects on where the current problems in China-South Korea relations lie and takes them seriously," and "We hope South Korea sincerely abides by the spirit of the China-South Korea Joint Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations and actively works with China for the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations."

The South Korean Embassy in China introduced that "Ambassador Jeong emphasized that mutual respect, reciprocity, and common interests are necessary for China-South Korea relations to develop healthily and maturely, and expressed hope for smoother communication between the two countries to achieve this."

Chinese state media Global Times (GT) emphasized regarding Ambassador Xing's remarks that "he spoke correctly" and "made factual and logical judgments." It evaluated that South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's mention of the Taiwan Strait issue in an interview with major foreign media ahead of his visit to the U.S. in April meant "the South Korean government not only follows the U.S. strategy toward China on the Taiwan issue but also expressed confidence in the U.S. victory."

Furthermore, it criticized, "It would be wise for the South Korean government to stop and reflect," asking, "Is China really South Korea's enemy? If South Korea aligns with the U.S. strategy and makes China an adversary, can South Korea bear the consequences?" It added, "At least South Korea has the ability to maintain balance, but it is leaning toward the U.S. side," and "We are concerned that this decision will jeopardize security on the Korean Peninsula." It continued, "China and South Korea are close neighbors and cannot avoid each other," emphasizing, "China does not want chaos and war on the Korean Peninsula. The key is how to resist external forces' division and destruction and find the right path for Asians to solve our problems through cooperation."

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