ed Diplomatic tightrope

National interest must be first principle in any decisions

Ranking officials from the U.S. and China are now visiting Seoul, making this country an arena for competition between G2. The senior diplomats are trying to sell their respective military and financial proposal to South Korea, while persuading the host government not to buy the other’s.

Whether and how Seoul can emerge unscathed from this difficult situation without hurting ties with its two key partners will determine its diplomatic fortune for the time being.

China’s Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Jianchao called on Seoul Monday to take heed of Beijing’s concern over the possible deployment of the U.S. missile defense system, while reiterating his government’s hope that South Korea will join the China-backed regional development bank.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russell will no doubt say the opposite: Seoul should introduce the Theater High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, and not accede to the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). So far, the Park Geun-hye administration has yet to make its position clear on either, maintaining "strategic ambiguity” on the former issue while weighing the risks and benefits of the latter.

There should, of course, be no need to hurry, but Seoul cannot drag its feet for too long, either.

The two matters are quite different in nature, but both can be summed up by one proposition; a hegemonic battle between the G2. It would be risky for Seoul to side with one country while estranging the other on both issues. Nor will it be wise to accept or reject both proposals to ensure only an ostensible, mechanical balance. When things are as complicated as this, diplomats here can do only one thing, which is to set up a fair and objective principle and stick to it ― maximizing the national interest.

With respect to joining AIIB, there should be little needs for hesitation, because the gains from joining it, and as a founding shareholder, will far outweigh any losses. The bank’s launch will provide lots of business opportunities for Korean builders armed with a global competitive edge. Washington will be shortsighted if it keeps opposing South Korea’s participation because Seoul will be one of the few regional players that can keep China’s one-sided governance in check while improving the banking operation in ways to better meet global standards.

It is hard to say the same thing about THAAD’s deployment, however. If Seoul pushes for deploying the U.S. missile shield, it will not only provoke North Korea further but antagonize the two regional giants, China and Russia. U.S. officials say it is aimed only at intercepting North Korean missiles, an assertion few experts outside Washington ― and probably some conservative commentators in Seoul ― would buy. Moreover, officials and experts here have yet to finish their technical analysis, about the system’s actual ability against costs, and public opinions are also mixed at best. In short, risks still seem to outweigh gains.

At stake is how Seoul could persuade foreigners with firm principles of seeking peace and prosperity for the nation and the region based on far-and-wide perspectives. Unfortunately, President Park and her administration have yet to show such vision.