China should not try to pit Korea against US
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's two-day visit to South Korea raised more concern that hope over relations between the two countries which will mark the 30th anniversary of their diplomatic normalization next year. He cannot deflect criticism for trying to undercut the South Korea-U.S. alliance and failing to condemn North Korea for its launching of two ballistic missiles.
On Wednesday, Wang expressed his objection to a U.S. legislative move to expand the America-led "Five Eyes" intelligence alliance by including South Korea and three other countries. He derided the move as an "outdated" byproduct of the Cold War era, after meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong in Seoul.
The U.S. House Committee on Armed Services recently passed a defense authorization bill that would require the Biden administration to consider expanding the five-way intelligence alliance to include South Korea, Japan, India and Germany. The alliance is currently composed of the U.S., Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Minister Wang seemed to be against the move which he apparently believes is aimed at forming a wider international coalition against China amid the intensifying Sino-U.S. rivalry. "I think that is utterly a byproduct of the Cold War era. And that is already outdated," he told reporters. His remarks suggested that Seoul refrain from joining the Five Eyes. They also certainly reflected China's animosity toward the U.S.
Wang was apparently seeking to issue a warning to the administration of President Joe Biden which is trying to rally the U.S.'s allies and partners behind its efforts to check the rise of China. Biden pledged to focus more on the Indo-Pacific region after completing the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. So Washington is expected to engage in an ever fiercer competition with Beijing over wide-raging issues such as China's human rights abuses, the Taiwan issue, and frictions over trade and technology.
However, it is regrettable to see Wang turning South Korea into a battlefield to confront the U.S. He appeared to go out of his way to take China's anti-U.S. sentiment out on the South, one of America's traditional allies. It is wrong for him to apply more pressure on Seoul to prevent it from moving closer toward Washington. Such pressure can be seen as nothing more than China attempting to intervene in South Korea's foreign policy.
Equally dumbfounding is Wang's remarks about North Korea's military provocations. The North fired two ballistic missiles into the East Sea, Wednesday, after it launched new types of cruise missiles over the weekend. The ballistic missile launch is a flagrant violation of the U.N. Security Council resolutions on North Korea. But, Wang stressed the need for concerned countries to exercise restraint to prevent a unilateral military action from causing a "vicious cycle" of tensions on the peninsula. As for the North's cruise missile tests, he also said that other countries engage in such military activities.
Now we cannot help asking the question: Why was he visiting South Korea? If he wanted to use his visit as leverage to counter the U.S., this was exhibiting diplomatic disrespect to the host country. We urge Wang and his country to have a sincere attitude to strengthening partnership with South Korea based on mutual respect and trust, instead of trying to drive a wedge between Seoul and Washington.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's two-day visit to South Korea raised more concern that hope over relations between the two countries which will mark the 30th anniversary of their diplomatic normalization next year. He cannot deflect criticism for trying to undercut the South Korea-U.S. alliance and failing to condemn North Korea for its launching of two ballistic missiles.
On Wednesday, Wang expressed his objection to a U.S. legislative move to expand the America-led "Five Eyes" intelligence alliance by including South Korea and three other countries. He derided the move as an "outdated" byproduct of the Cold War era, after meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong in Seoul.
The U.S. House Committee on Armed Services recently passed a defense authorization bill that would require the Biden administration to consider expanding the five-way intelligence alliance to include South Korea, Japan, India and Germany. The alliance is currently composed of the U.S., Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Minister Wang seemed to be against the move which he apparently believes is aimed at forming a wider international coalition against China amid the intensifying Sino-U.S. rivalry. "I think that is utterly a byproduct of the Cold War era. And that is already outdated," he told reporters. His remarks suggested that Seoul refrain from joining the Five Eyes. They also certainly reflected China's animosity toward the U.S.
Wang was apparently seeking to issue a warning to the administration of President Joe Biden which is trying to rally the U.S.'s allies and partners behind its efforts to check the rise of China. Biden pledged to focus more on the Indo-Pacific region after completing the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. So Washington is expected to engage in an ever fiercer competition with Beijing over wide-raging issues such as China's human rights abuses, the Taiwan issue, and frictions over trade and technology.
However, it is regrettable to see Wang turning South Korea into a battlefield to confront the U.S. He appeared to go out of his way to take China's anti-U.S. sentiment out on the South, one of America's traditional allies. It is wrong for him to apply more pressure on Seoul to prevent it from moving closer toward Washington. Such pressure can be seen as nothing more than China attempting to intervene in South Korea's foreign policy.
Equally dumbfounding is Wang's remarks about North Korea's military provocations. The North fired two ballistic missiles into the East Sea, Wednesday, after it launched new types of cruise missiles over the weekend. The ballistic missile launch is a flagrant violation of the U.N. Security Council resolutions on North Korea. But, Wang stressed the need for concerned countries to exercise restraint to prevent a unilateral military action from causing a "vicious cycle" of tensions on the peninsula. As for the North's cruise missile tests, he also said that other countries engage in such military activities.
Now we cannot help asking the question: Why was he visiting South Korea? If he wanted to use his visit as leverage to counter the U.S., this was exhibiting diplomatic disrespect to the host country. We urge Wang and his country to have a sincere attitude to strengthening partnership with South Korea based on mutual respect and trust, instead of trying to drive a wedge between Seoul and Washington.
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