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Sun, January 17, 2021 | 03:41
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South China Sea dispute overshadowing summits
한일중, 정상회의 공동선언 집중조율…'남중국해' 변수 주목
Posted : 2015-10-29 16:47
Updated : 2015-10-29 22:14
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Seoul under pressure to take stance between Washington, Beijing

By Kang Seung-woo

President Park Geun-hye may face tough calls regarding the territorial dispute in the South China Sea from Japan as well as China at bilateral or trilateral meetings with their leaders in Seoul, analysts said Thursday.

Park is scheduled to sit face-to-face with Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang, Saturday, and hold her first summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Monday.

The leaders will visit Seoul this weekend to attend a trilateral leadership meeting slated for Sunday.

The South China Sea dispute, the ongoing hot-button security issue in the Asia-Pacific region, may trouble President Park during the events.

The maritime conflict between China and the United States is already placing Park in hot water because Washington wants Seoul to join its side against Beijing's claim for territorial waters around new man-made islands.

However, the Park government has not taken sides in the dispute because Sino-Korea ties are better than ever.

"Prime Minister Abe may bring up the issue during the meeting with Park because Japan wants to highlight it on behalf of the U.S. government," said Bong Young-shik, a senior research fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies.

Behind the Obama administration's rebalancing policy to contain China in the region, the United States seeks to enhance the trilateral alliance with Japan and Korea. Unlike Japan strongly backing the U.S. policy, Korea has managed to juggle its ties with the United States and China. In this regard, Abe is expected to urge Park to clarify her stance on the dispute.

In addition, there is speculation that the Chinese premier may raise the issue during the trilateral talks or a bilateral meeting with Park, which will plague the Korean government, as well.

However, Cheong Wa Dae said that there is little chance of the leaders doing so, stressing that the friction should be resolved in accordance with international norms.

Park and Abe are also expected to discuss "comfort women" — a long-running thorny issue between the two countries — during the meeting at the presidential office. But there is little optimism that the two sides will come up with a satisfactory solution in reference to the sexual enslavement of Korean women forced to provide sex for Japanese troops before and during World War II.

"The result of the meeting regarding the issue will fall short of our expectations," said a Cheong Wa Dae official.

Park's plan to normalize the relations between Korea and Japan is premised on the two sides making headway on the issue, so she will not shy away from the topic, according to Park's office.

Korea and Japan allegedly remain apart over how to compensate the surviving victims of the sex slavery, with Seoul calling for government-led compensation, but Tokyo opposing that.

Park and Abe may also talk about the scope of the Japanese Self Defense Forces' military operations in the event of a war on the Korean Peninsula.

Last week, their defense ministers held a meeting in Seoul, but they failed to reach an agreement on whether Japan would have to consult South Korea before launching any potential military action in North Korea.

In addition, during her trip to Washington, D.C., Park said, "The ROK-U.S. alliance is a linchpin of the U.S. rebalancing policy in the Asia-Pacific region" and the Chinese prime minister may take issue with her remark, given that the U.S. rebalancing policy targets his country.


한일중, 정상회의 공동선언 집중조율…'남중국해' 변수 주목

3국 고위관리 오늘 오찬회담…북핵·한반도·역사문제 공동선언문 언급 가능성
3국협력 기금 문제도 정상회의서 논의 전망…아베·리커창 부인 방한 않을 듯

다음 달 1일로 확정된 제6차 한일중 정상회의의 사전준비를 위한 3국간 고위관리회의(SOM)가 29일 개최된다.

우리측의 김홍균 외교부 차관보, 류전민(劉振民) 중국 외교부 부부장(차관급), 스기야마 신스케(杉山晋輔) 일본 정무 담당 외무심의관(차관보급)이 각각 참석한다. 오찬을 겸해서 비공개로 열리는 고위관리회의에서는 한일중 정상회의의 최종 결과물이 될 공동선언문에 대한 집중적인 조율이 이뤄진다.

김 차관보는 3자가 참여하는 이 회의와 별도로 한일 정상회담(11월2일)과 관련해 스기야마 심의관과 양자 회동을 할 것으로 알려졌다.

윤병세 외교부 장관은 다음달 1일 기시다 후미오(岸田文雄) 일본 외무상과 외교장관 회담을 한다. 왕이(王毅) 중국 외교부장과의 회담은 한중 정상회담(31일)을 전후해서 열린다.

정부 당국자는 한일중 정상회의에 대해 '그동안 3국간 협력을 평가하고, 앞으로 잘하자는 것이 제일 큰 부분이고, 북핵을 비롯한 한반도 및 동북아 정세와 국제정세, 국제경제·글로벌 이슈들이 논의될 것'이라고 말했다.

공동선언문에는 북핵 해결의 시급성을 강조하고 의미 있는 비핵화 재개를 위해 3국이 노력한다는 의지가 담길 것으로 알려졌다.

일본을 염두에 둔 역사인식 문제는 공식 의제가 아니지만 '역사를 직시하고 미래를 향해 나간다'는 정신은 강조될 것으로 보인다. 3국은 지난 3월 개최된 외교장관회담의 공동발표문에 역사문제와 관련해 '역사를 직시하며 미래를 향해 나아간다는 정신을 바탕으로'라는 표현을 넣은 바 있다.

3국간 협력을 제도화할 수 있는 재정기반을 마련하기 위해 3국 협력기금, 이른바 TCF(trilateral Cooperation Fund) 조성 방안을 담는 방안도 조율 중인 것으로 전해졌다.

센카쿠(尖閣·중국명 댜오위다오<釣魚島>)열도를 둘러싼 중일간 갈등으로 한일중 정상회의가 2012년 5월 이후 3년반 동안 중단됐던 점을 감안해 공동선언문에 정례화를 못박는 방안도 검토하고 있다는 관측도 나온다.

한일중 정상회의나 한일·한중 정상회담 과정에서의 공식 의제는 아니지만 미중간 일촉즉발의 위기가 고조되고 있는 남중국해 문제가 돌발적으로 거론될 가능성도 배제할 수 없다.

중국과 일본의 주도로 역사문제나 남중국해 문제가 다소 지나치게 제기될 경우 한일중 정상회의 의장국으로 협력을 모색해야 하는 우리 정부의 입장이 난처해질 수 있다는 관측이 제기된다.

한편, 아베 신조(安倍晋三) 일본 총리의 부인과 리커창(李克强) 중국 총리의 부인은 이번에 방한하지 않는 것으로 알려졌다. (연합뉴스)
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