Korean Foreign Minister Changes Tone Toward China! The South Korean Foreign Minister stated that they will maintain the South Korea-China relationship from a pragmatic perspective. On August 14, according to foreign media reports, the South Korean Foreign Minister said that there are fundamental differences between South Korea and China, but we need to effectively manage these differences and carry out cooperation and dialogue. They will maintain the South Korea-China relationship from a pragmatic perspective. Obviously, this statement by the South Korean Foreign Minister shows a clear difference compared to their statement toward China ten days ago.
Previously, the South Korean Foreign Minister expressed hope to convey a message of maintaining good relations with China. However, he also viewed China's rise as a challenge, stating that they should remain somewhat "alert" to it. South Korea recognizes the necessity of engaging with China, and unilaterally trying to contain China will not work as expected. Comparing the two statements, this time, the South Korean Foreign Minister did not mention words like "containing China" or "being alert." Second, the South Korean Foreign Minister used the term "differences" instead of "disputes," and the tone is clearly much more relaxed.
The South Korean Foreign Minister also mentioned dealing with China in a pragmatic way and maintaining the South Korea-China relationship. Undoubtedly, from the perspective of the statement, this time the South Korean stance is more friendly toward us. Analyzing this change in the statement, it indicates that South Korea is continuously balancing its relations with both the United States and China. Objectively speaking, under the context of the U.S.-China rivalry, South Korea is facing pressure from the United States and also has the practical need to strengthen cooperation with us. Taking sides is not in South Korea's interest. It is something we welcome to deal with us in a pragmatic manner. Based on this, we believe that the South Korea-China relationship will have more substantial improvements.
Original article: www.toutiao.com/article/1840398434295947/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.