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| Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong speaks during a press conference at the ministry in Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap |
By Kang Seung-woo
Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong said Wednesday that the United States and China are equally important partners for South Korea, indicating that Seoul would not pick a side between either Washington or Beijing.
The minister added that Seoul's stance is anything but "strategic ambiguity" amid the intensifying rivalry between the two powerhouses, which is raising speculation that they are trying to force South Korea to side with one of them.
"The U.S. is our sole ally and we have repeatedly reaffirmed that the alliance with the country is the cornerstone of our diplomatic and security policy. On the other hand, China is our largest trading partner and we maintain a strategic cooperative partnership," Chung said during a press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul.
"I am once again telling you that the U.S. and China have never urged us to choose between them. Our position is that, based on the robust South Korea-U.S. alliance, we will strive to harmoniously develop relations with China, which is clear, not ambiguous at all."
His remarks came as the two powerhouses have been engaged in a hegemonic competition, putting South Korea in the hot seat.
The U.S. is forming an anti-China alliance with its allies and wants South Korea to participate in the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), a strategic forum comprised of Australia, India, Japan and the U.S. to counter a rising China.
However, the South Korean government has been reluctant to join the Quad due to a possible backlash from the Chinese government. In 2018, Beijing took economic retaliatory measures against Seoul over the deployment of a U.S. anti-missile system on the Korean Peninsula.
In addition, the press conference took place ahead of a South Korea-U.S.-Japan trilateral national security advisors' dialogue in Washington, D.C., and a foreign ministerial meeting between South Korea and China in the Chinese city of Xiamen, with the former slated for Friday (local time) and the latter for Saturday.
Given that the two meetings will happen a few hours apart, speculation is mounting that China hastily arranged the talks in response to the three-way consultations, during which Chinese issues as well as North Korean matters are expected to be high on the agenda.
However, the minister said it was accidental, adding that the two countries had been in discussions over the meeting.
Amid its diplomatic row with Japan, Chung said Seoul is seeking to restore soured ties with Tokyo, adding that Washington's mediation will be welcome. Since U.S. President Joe Biden took office in January, his administration has stressed the importance of trilateral cooperation with South Korea and Japan to handle issues involving North Korea, China and others.
"Personally, I hope for early foreign ministerial talks (with Japan)," he said, adding that the ministry sent its director-general for Asia and Pacific affairs to Tokyo as part of efforts to strengthen communication with Japan.
He also said he is willing to meet with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi in any format.
"Whether that will be bilateral talks between South Korea and Japan, or trilateral foreign ministerial talks involving South Korea, the U.S. and Japan, like this week's planned meeting among the national security advisers of the three countries, I am willing to meet him," the minister said.
"Whether I go to Japan or the Japanese minister comes to Korea or to a third country, I am committed to meeting him."
According to media reports, South Korea, Japan and the U.S. are arranging a three-way foreign ministerial meeting that also includes U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington, D.C. in late April.
