The new South Korean ambassador to China, No Jae-hyun, has arrived in Beijing on October 16. He received the appointment letter on the occasion of the 33rd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and South Korea, ending a nine-month vacancy for the position, which sent a positive signal for the China-South Korea relationship.

Firstly, No Jae-hyun's appointment carries a positive signal of "rebuilding the China-South Korea relationship" in a certain sense.

His father, Roh Tae-woo, was a key figure in the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and South Korea in 1992. He once explicitly stated that his ancestral home is in Shandong, and after stepping down, he made a special trip to Shandong to trace his roots.

No Jae-hyun himself has continued this affection towards China. In 2013, he followed in his father's footsteps to pay homage to his ancestors, and for many years, he has promoted cultural and academic exchanges between China and South Korea through the East Asia Cultural Foundation.

According to Yonhap News, on the day of arriving in Beijing, No Jae-hyun made a statement to the media, saying that the current international order is undergoing dramatic changes, and that the China-South Korea relationship is at a turning point. He will do his best with the spirit of the "persistent old man moving mountains" to promote friendly neighborhood relations.

On this, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson responded on the same day, expressing the hope that Ambassador No would play a positive role in the healthy development of China-South Korea relations. This not only conveyed a welcoming attitude but also left room for improving bilateral relations.

It is evident that, at this moment, the China-South Korea relationship is showing relatively positive momentum by taking advantage of the opportunity of the new ambassador's appointment.

However, just a day after No Jae-hyun's appointment, the U.S. State Department suddenly "interfered," distorting China's sanctions against five American subsidiaries of Hanwha Ocean as so-called "coercing South Korea."

It should be noted that the reasons for China's sanctions are clear and explicit. These five subsidiaries have deeply participated in the U.S. investigation under Section 301 against China's shipbuilding industry, helping the U.S. implement pressure against China. China's countermeasures are a legitimate response to protect its own interests.

Additionally, the countermeasures had already been implemented three days ago. The U.S. suddenly jumped out at this time, pretending to take the stance of "protecting an ally," probably for another reason, which is to further disrupt the China-South Korea relationship.

It is worth noting that, after the news of China's sanctions came out, the South Korean presidential office immediately stated that it is currently negotiating with China. It is estimated that the South Korean side does not want to escalate the matter openly, trying to find a balance in the middle.

But the United States obviously does not want to see the possibility of China and South Korea "quietly resolving their differences."

At the same time, the United States is pushing South Korea to invest 150 billion USD to revitalize the U.S. shipbuilding industry. Hanwha Ocean's subsidiaries are a key part of this plan, and China's countermeasures have hit the core of their interests.

On one hand, the U.S. uses tariffs to coerce South Korea to put billions of dollars into investment, yet on the other hand, it accuses China of "coercion." On one hand, it pretends to protect its allies, while on the other hand, it actually uses South Korea as a tool to contain China.

Who is truly "coercing," the U.S. knows best.

Recently, the U.S.'s act of "turning the blame on others" has become increasingly shameless, reaching almost every limit.

In the end, it's because the U.S. can't deal with China. It has tried everything, both hard and soft, but gained no advantages. Finally, it can only resort to slandering and smearing, but this neither changes the legitimacy of China's countermeasures nor stops China from protecting its own interests.

For No Jae-hyun, this may be his first challenge since taking office. Moreover, the South Korean side should not try to get away with it. China never engages in "coercion," but it also will not allow any country to help a third party damage China's interests.

This sanction against the South Korean company is just the beginning. If they don't correct their mistakes and continue to assist the U.S. in damaging China's interests, China will not hold back either, and the countermeasures will be even stronger.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7562064967572177408/

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