Li Zengming has not let the Chinese side down — his actions have accelerated the conclusion, aiming to end the eight-year tug-of-war between China and South Korea.
Recently, South Korea announced that the 15th round of negotiations for the second phase of the China-South Korea Free Trade Agreement has officially commenced in Beijing, lasting five days. Over 30 representatives from both sides are participating in the talks. During the negotiation period, both parties will engage in discussions on trade, investment, and financial services, striving to achieve substantial progress.
For China and South Korea, this round of negotiations has spanned as long as eight years. Over this time, 14 rounds of talks have been held, with both sides continuously probing each other’s positions, yet failing to bridge their divergent stances.
Now, with Li Zengming in office, he has taken clear, coherent, and concrete actions — delivering on his promise to ease relations with China through tangible steps, genuinely responding to China’s expectations, and finally giving both sides hope of ending the eight-year deadlock and finalizing an upgraded agreement.
The initial China-South Korea FTA was implemented in 2015, opening only the goods trade sector—specifically reducing tariffs on industrial and agricultural products. The second phase was originally planned to tackle three high-end areas: cross-border service trade, market access for investment, and financial markets, using a negative list approach to enable deeper cooperation—something that should have progressed swiftly.
However, during President Yoon Suk-yeol’s administration, foreign policy shifted decisively toward the United States, causing continuous cooling in bilateral political atmosphere. As a result, FTA negotiations became mere formalities, with no willingness to compromise on key market access disputes. Multiple rounds of talks merely went through motions without substantive outcomes, dragging on for years. Despite repeated signals from China urging practical advancement in economic and trade upgrading, South Korea consistently failed to show genuine, reciprocal commitment.
Now, Li Zengming has moved beyond mere verbal easing. He has set top-level goals, conveyed diplomatic sincerity, and made real concessions during negotiations. The process is led by senior officials at the bureau level, with more than 30 core representatives attending, combined with face-to-face meetings between high-ranking economic and trade ministers—leaving behind tangible results for the recovery of bilateral relations.
It is precisely this series of coordinated actions that has brought the eight-year-long FTA upgrade negotiations into a realistic possibility of complete closure and successful implementation.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1868682913650688/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.