ED Decline China's invitation

China's President Xi Jinping attends the opening session of the National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 5. AFP-Yonhap

This September, China will mark the 80th anniversary of its victory over Japan in World War II with a major ceremony and military parade in Beijing. South Korea has been invited to attend, with China reportedly pressing for President Lee Jae Myung's presence. While the occasion carries symbolic historical weight — especially given the shared legacy of resisting Japanese imperialism — President Lee should decline the invitation. Attending would not only misalign with South Korea’s strategic interests, but also risk diplomatic fallout amid intensifying U.S.-China tensions.

The last and only time a South Korean president attended this ceremony was in 2015, when then-President Park Geun-hye stood atop Tiananmen Gate with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Despite the optics of solidarity, that visit failed to secure meaningful cooperation from China on North Korea’s nuclear issue. Shortly thereafter, bilateral ties worsened following Seoul’s decision to deploy the U.S. THAAD missile defense system. The lesson is clear: symbolic gestures do not always translate into diplomatic gains.

Today’s geopolitical context makes attendance even more precarious. The U.S.-China rivalry is no longer limited to trade disputes — it now encompasses military signaling, technology competition, and global ideological divergence. At the heart of this rivalry is a stark choice for many countries: align clearly, or risk being caught in the middle. While South Korea has long prided itself on being a principled middle power, able to balance relationships on its own terms, appearing at a Chinese military parade could be misinterpreted as a tilt toward Beijing. That perception would undermine Seoul’s strategic clarity and invite distrust from Washington.

Indeed, the United States has grown increasingly wary of the so-called “security with the U.S., economy with China” strategy — known domestically as An-Mi-Gyeong-Jung. The forthcoming U.S. National Defense Strategy is expected to shift the mission of U.S. Forces Korea from solely deterring North Korea to also containing China. In this climate, symbolic actions will be scrutinized closely. Lee must avoid giving the impression that South Korea is leaning too closely to China.

Moreover, this invitation is not merely ceremonial. It comes as Beijing urges Seoul not to side with Washington on critical flashpoints such as Taiwan and the global tech supply chain. Xi’s remarks during his call with Lee reflected this intent — to pull South Korea closer and weaken the trilateral cooperation among Seoul, Washington and Tokyo. To entertain such overtures at a military-centered event would compromise South Korea’s diplomatic coherence and raise questions about its commitment to shared democratic values.

To be clear, rejecting the invitation is not a rejection of history or cooperation. The Korean people’s resistance to colonial rule is well recognized globally, and China understands and respects that legacy. But South Korea’s national identity no longer requires affirmation through participation in another country’s military commemoration. A mature bilateral relationship with China should be grounded in substantive engagement — not optics. Forums like the APEC summit, which South Korea will host in October, provide more meaningful avenues to pursue economic collaboration and regional stability.

South Korea’s relationship with China must be navigated from a foundation of unambiguous trust with the United States. President Lee has pledged to pursue “national interest-centered pragmatic diplomacy.” That means making decisions not based on pressure or appearances, but on strategic priorities. Before engaging further with Beijing, he should consult closely with U.S. leadership, particularly as the U.S. charts a more assertive China strategy under the second Trump administration.

Ultimately, declining to attend China’s Victory Day ceremony would not be a snub — it is a declaration of sovereign decision-making and diplomatic maturity. In an era of rising geopolitical friction, clarity, not ambiguity, is the hallmark of effective foreign policy. Lee’s absence would underscore South Korea’s commitment to strategic balance, regional stability and principled diplomacy.