By Kim Rahn
South Korea’s relations with China, soured by the deployment of a U.S. anti-missile system here, are showing signs of improvement following Chinese President Xi Jinping entering into his second term.
The icy relationship has apparently been thawing recently in the economic and defense areas, and expectation is growing that leaders of the two countries may have a summit within the year.
South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo and his Chinese counterpart Chang Wanquan had talks for about half an hour in Clark, the Philippines, Tuesday, the last day of the Chinese Communist Party’s 19th congress.
Although it took place on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting (ADMM) Plus, it was the first bilateral meeting between the two in almost two years, with the last one being held in November 2015.
They did not elaborate on what was discussed but critics say the meeting itself is meaningful because it shows the two countries’ desire to improve ties in the defense and security areas.
Seoul and Beijing have been at odds for nearly a year over the former’s deployment of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system to combat North Korea’s missile threats.
China claimed the radar of the anti-missile system could spy on its military activities, and took economic retaliation against South Korean businesses operating in the country to protest the installation.
They have also shown different approaches on how to resolve North Korea’s nuclear and missile issue, as Seoul wants China, probably the North’s only ally, to be more active in pressuring Pyongyang but Beijing wants a suspension of South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises as part of a solution.
On Oct. 13, the two nations also agreed to extend a currency swap deal, brushing away concerns that it would end due to the diplomatic friction.
“With Xi starting his second term afresh following the congress, China also needs to resolve its tangled relations with South Korea,” international studies professor Shin Sang-jin of Kwangwoon University said.
Lee Tai-hwan, a senior research fellow at the Sejong Institute, agreed, saying Xi would seek momentum in Seoul-Beijing relations. “Until the congress, he focused on domestic issues and laid the North Korea matter aside,” Lee said. “With the congress now ended, he could want to set a new chapter with South Korea rather than sticking to the THAAD issue.”
Amid these positive signs, the possibility is growing for South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Xi to have a summit.
The two leaders may have bilateral talks on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Vietnam in November, and officials here say they have been moving to arrange Moon’s visit to China at the end of this year.
“In the previous summit in Berlin in July, the two leaders agreed on Moon visiting China this year, so we are trying to make this happen,” South Korean Ambassador to China Noh Young-min said during a parliamentary audit session Tuesday. “If Moon visits China this year and Xi visits South Korea in return next year on the occasion of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, it will be of great help in achieving peace in Northeast Asia.”
Moon also expressed hopes for the summit in a telegram to congratulate Xi on taking his second term. “I hope to meet you as soon as possible, so we can cooperate in intensifying the 25-year-old South Korea-China relations in multiple ways, making the relationship a strategic partnership, and realizing peace on the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia,” he said.