Chinese State Media, "China Ignores Korea" Yoon's Speech Deemed "Unconvincing"

President Yoon Suk-yeol is delivering a congratulatory speech at the 69th anniversary ceremony of the Korea Freedom Federation held on the 28th of last month at Jangchung Gymnasium in Jung-gu, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon Suk-yeol's remark during his speech on the 28th of last month that South Korean diplomacy had been ignored by China was criticized in an editorial by China Daily, China's state-run English-language newspaper.

The China Daily editorial on the 3rd stated, "China has always treated other countries equally, regardless of their size, so President Yoon's comments regarding China are completely unacceptable."

The editorial went on to seemingly recall Foreign Minister Park Jin's interview remarks on the 25th of last month, which emphasized Korea-China friendship and communication, saying, "The South Korean government softened its tone toward China and emphasized bilateral friendship just a few days ago, but seeing President Yoon's remarks, it is clear that South Korea still has a long way to go before it has a proper understanding of its relationship with China."

It further claimed, "The South Korean government's policies have already harmed China's interests in security and trade issues, casting a shadow over the strategic partnership that the two countries have worked to build over many years."

It added, "The Yoon Suk-yeol administration should note that thanks to practical cooperation over the past 30 years, China and South Korea have achieved common development and prosperity."

The editorial continued, "China remains South Korea's largest export market and trading partner," and argued, "If the Yoon administration truly cares about China-Korea relations, it should not allow the alliance with the United States to affect China-Korea relations." It also stated, "Mutual trust between the two neighbors (China and Korea) is already astonishingly low," and added, "If the Yoon administration can see the bigger picture of China-Korea relations, appropriately handle disagreements with China, and inject positive momentum into bilateral cooperation, it will be in the interests of both countries."

President Yoon, during his congratulatory speech at the 69th founding anniversary event of the Korea Freedom Federation held at Jangchung Gymnasium on the 28th of last month, mentioned his diplomatic achievements since taking office, saying, "Our diplomacy, which had been ignored by China while only looking at North Korea, has now risen to become a global pivotal diplomacy that closely cooperates with countries across all five oceans and six continents, respecting international norms."

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