By Yi Whan-woo
Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Qiu Guohong put aside concerns Thursday over a possible military clash between Beijing and Washington in the South China Sea.
"You don't have to worry about that," he said during a breakfast forum hosted by an alumni association of Seoul National University in Seoul.
"It's possible for China and the United States to have serious disputes over certain issues because of differences in their principal values and political systems. However, there will never be a military conflict between the two sides."
He also said China, unlike the U.S. and the former Soviet Union during the Cold War era, is not trying to become world's greatest power.
China's top envoy to South Korea made his remarks while Seoul has been walking a fine line between Washington and Beijing amid their growing rivalry for global hegemony.
The two superpowers are crucial to deter North Korea's military threats and unify the two Koreas.
And Seoul has sought to placate both Washington and Beijing over diplomatically sensitive issues involving the two sides, including their simmering row in the South China Sea.
Tensions in the region were heightened when a U.S. Navy destroyer, the USS Lassen, entered what Beijing claims to be its 12 nautical-mile territorial limit around the Subi Reef Tuesday.
That is one of the artificial islands China built for military purposes in its territorial disputes in the South China Sea with its Southeast Asian neighbors, including the Philippines, a U.S. ally.
Washington has insisted on freedom of navigation in the disputed waters in line with international law.
South Korea renewed its calls for the U.S. and China to find a peaceful resolution to the dispute, Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Qiu said that China seeks to normalize its ties with North Korea.
The two traditional allies have raised hope for a thaw on their strained political ties when Liu Yunshan, a top-ranked Chinese Communist Party official, joined North Korea's 70th anniversary celebration of the founding of its Communist Party on Oct. 10.
Liu is ranked fifth among the highest ranking officials, including President Xi Jinping, of the Chinese Communist Party.
"We've been trying to normalize our ties with North Korea and help the Pyongyang government to get along with the rest of the world as a normal state," Qiu said. "The Beijing-Pyongyang ties have eased to some extent, and it's good for the China-South Korea relations as well as the inter-Korean relations and also for peace and prosperity in the region."
The Chinese envoy stressed his country's role on North Korea's decision not to carry out a highly anticipated long-range rocket launch and nuclear test to mark the birth of Pyongyang's Communist Party.
It was speculated the Pyongyang would fire a long-range rocket, which the U.S.-led allies suspect would be cover for a ballistic missile test, and conduct a fourth nuclear test banned by the United Nations. The military regime has carried out three nuclear tests since 2006.
"The improved China-North Korea ties are exerting influence on Pyongyang, although international pressure also has played a role," Qiu said.
He added his country has been stepping up efforts to resume the six-party talks aimed at ending Pyongyang's nuclear program.
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Qiu Guohong |
"You don't have to worry about that," he said during a breakfast forum hosted by an alumni association of Seoul National University in Seoul.
"It's possible for China and the United States to have serious disputes over certain issues because of differences in their principal values and political systems. However, there will never be a military conflict between the two sides."
He also said China, unlike the U.S. and the former Soviet Union during the Cold War era, is not trying to become world's greatest power.
China's top envoy to South Korea made his remarks while Seoul has been walking a fine line between Washington and Beijing amid their growing rivalry for global hegemony.
The two superpowers are crucial to deter North Korea's military threats and unify the two Koreas.
And Seoul has sought to placate both Washington and Beijing over diplomatically sensitive issues involving the two sides, including their simmering row in the South China Sea.
Tensions in the region were heightened when a U.S. Navy destroyer, the USS Lassen, entered what Beijing claims to be its 12 nautical-mile territorial limit around the Subi Reef Tuesday.
That is one of the artificial islands China built for military purposes in its territorial disputes in the South China Sea with its Southeast Asian neighbors, including the Philippines, a U.S. ally.
Washington has insisted on freedom of navigation in the disputed waters in line with international law.
South Korea renewed its calls for the U.S. and China to find a peaceful resolution to the dispute, Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Qiu said that China seeks to normalize its ties with North Korea.
The two traditional allies have raised hope for a thaw on their strained political ties when Liu Yunshan, a top-ranked Chinese Communist Party official, joined North Korea's 70th anniversary celebration of the founding of its Communist Party on Oct. 10.
Liu is ranked fifth among the highest ranking officials, including President Xi Jinping, of the Chinese Communist Party.
"We've been trying to normalize our ties with North Korea and help the Pyongyang government to get along with the rest of the world as a normal state," Qiu said. "The Beijing-Pyongyang ties have eased to some extent, and it's good for the China-South Korea relations as well as the inter-Korean relations and also for peace and prosperity in the region."
The Chinese envoy stressed his country's role on North Korea's decision not to carry out a highly anticipated long-range rocket launch and nuclear test to mark the birth of Pyongyang's Communist Party.
It was speculated the Pyongyang would fire a long-range rocket, which the U.S.-led allies suspect would be cover for a ballistic missile test, and conduct a fourth nuclear test banned by the United Nations. The military regime has carried out three nuclear tests since 2006.
"The improved China-North Korea ties are exerting influence on Pyongyang, although international pressure also has played a role," Qiu said.
He added his country has been stepping up efforts to resume the six-party talks aimed at ending Pyongyang's nuclear program.
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