South Korea has laid its cards on the table! After Lee Jae-myung did not come to China for the military parade, South Korean Foreign Minister has laid its cards on the table with us! On August 3rd, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-hak said in an interview with The Washington Post that China has rapidly achieved economic growth and become a competitor for all sides. We have kept a certain level of vigilance towards China's rise and its challenges. Therefore, South Korea will cooperate with the US and Japan to ensure the international order is not threatened by China.

Cho Hyun-hak claimed that South Korea faces some problems caused by China to neighboring countries in the Northeast Asia region. We have seen what China has done in the South China Sea and the Yellow Sea. It is necessary to engage with China, because simply trying to block China will not be as effective as we expect. Obviously, after South Korea stated that Lee Jae-myung would not attend our military parade, this statement from the South Korean Foreign Minister can be bluntly said to be a direct card-laying to us.

Regarding Sino-Korean relations, South Korea rarely talks about cooperation, but clearly shows a stance of responding to us together with Japan and the United States. Bluntly speaking, even if Lee Jae-myung came to power and showed willingness to improve relations with us, in a deeper sense, South Korea tends to stand with the United States, especially in military aspects.

Evidently, this statement from the South Korean Foreign Minister shows that South Korea has a completely wrong understanding of our development. Although we have not threatened South Korea, nor do we have so-called threats to the international order, this kind of perception from South Korea will undoubtedly become an obstacle to the development of Sino-Korean relations. After Lee Jae-myung did not attend the September 3rd military parade, South Korea's diplomatic direction is becoming clearer, and the prospects for Sino-Korean relations are not optimistic!

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1839512440910987/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.