{"id":2201335,"date":"2023-06-09T20:08:44","date_gmt":"2023-06-09T11:08:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2201335"},"modified":"2023-06-16T15:50:02","modified_gmt":"2023-06-16T06:50:02","slug":"a-chinese-diplomats-controversial-remarks-stoke-tensions-with-south-korea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/06\/a-chinese-diplomats-controversial-remarks-stoke-tensions-with-south-korea\/","title":{"rendered":"A Chinese diplomat\u2019s controversial remarks stoke tensions with South Korea"},"content":{"rendered":"
Tensions between South Korea and China have bubbled to the surface this week, after China\u2019s ambassador to South Korea made controversial <\/span>remarks<\/span><\/a> about Seoul\u2019s efforts to bolster ties with Washington.<\/span><\/p>\n In a meeting with Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung on Thursday, Ambassador Xing Haiming said, \u201cI can say definitely that those betting on China\u2019s defeat will certainly regret it later.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Xing\u2019s expression of discontent with President Yoon Suk-yeol\u2019s foreign policy has set off a backlash in Seoul, with some interpreting his remarks as a veiled threat. The ruling People Power Party (PPP) <\/span>decried<\/span><\/a> Xing\u2019s remarks as a \u201cclear interference in domestic affairs and a serious diplomatic discourtesy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n On Friday, South Korea\u2019s foreign ministry also <\/span>summoned<\/span><\/a> Xing for his comments, and government officials, including First Vice Foreign Minister Chang Ho-jin and Foreign Minister Park Jin, have warned and rebuked the envoy for making \u201cunreasonable and provocative\u201d remarks.<\/span><\/p>\n And after years of growing friction between South Korea and China, the incident has raised the potential for a larger diplomatic fallout that could have serious regional and global implications.<\/span><\/p>\n NO MORE HEDGING<\/b><\/p>\n Yoon has signaled a departure from his predecessor\u2019s foreign policy approach in many ways, particularly in regard to China. During Yoon\u2019s summit with U.S. President Joe Biden in April, the two leaders <\/span>reiterated<\/span><\/a> the importance of preserving peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait as an essential element in security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.<\/span><\/p>\n Beijing has always bristled at Washington\u2019s statements regarding Taiwan, referring to policy regarding the self-ruled island as an internal matter. Yoon\u2019s <\/span>statement<\/span><\/a> in support of Washington\u2019s view has stoked China\u2019s anger.<\/span><\/p>\n The joint decision by the U.S. and the ROK to deploy U.S. strategic assets, such as American nuclear submarines near South Korea, has also angered Beijing. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning <\/span>stated<\/span><\/a> during a press briefing that the allies\u2019 decision to deploy a U.S. nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine around South Korean waters \u201churts the strategic interests of other countries\u201d and claimed that it was a \u201csource of tension\u201d for the region.<\/span><\/p>\n Moreover, the Yoon administration\u2019s recently released <\/span>National Security Strategy<\/span><\/a> also hints that the ROK will deprioritize China. The document describes Japan as a partner with which it shares universal values such as \u201cfreedom, democracy and human rights,\u201d but it refers to China as merely a \u201cgeographically and culturally close neighbor.\u201d The strategy even lists Japan over China.<\/span><\/p>\n Xing has noted Seoul\u2019s policy shift, attributing South Korea\u2019s growing trade deficits to its policy choices rather than Chinese actions.<\/span><\/p>\n