China Reacts Strongly to ROK-US Joint Statement... Summons Political Counselor in Beijing for Protest

Published 28 Apr.2023 08:39(KST)

China raised concerns about the joint statement from the South Korea-US summit and summoned Kang Sang-wook, the political counselor at the South Korean Embassy in China, to lodge a protest.

According to China's state-run Global Times on the 28th, Liu Jin-song, Director of the Asia Department at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, summoned Kang Sang-wook, the political counselor at the South Korean Embassy in China, the previous night to raise a "serious negotiation" regarding the China-related content in the South Korea-US joint statement. A "serious negotiation" refers to an official protest through diplomatic channels.

Kang Sang-wook, Political Counselor at the Embassy of Korea in China (left), and Liu Jin-song, President of Azusa at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (right). (Photo by Huanqiu Shibao)

The Global Times also reported that China "expressed strong dissatisfaction, emphasized China's stern position on the Taiwan issue, and urged the South Korean side to strictly adhere to the 'One China' principle."

Earlier, President Yoon Suk-yeol of South Korea and US President Joe Biden held a summit in Washington DC and stated in the joint statement on the 26th (local time) that "the two leaders reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait as an essential element of regional security and prosperity." They also specified that they "strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the Indo-Pacific, including illegal maritime claims, militarization of reclaimed areas, and coercive actions."

Mao Ning, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, warned at a regular briefing on the 27th, "The United States and South Korea should correctly recognize the reality of the Taiwan issue, respect the One China principle, and exercise caution in words and actions regarding the Taiwan issue," adding, "Do not go further down the wrong and dangerous path." She also criticized the adoption of the "Washington Declaration" at the South Korea-US summit, which strengthens extended deterrence, calling it an act that stokes tensions.