Source: Global Times

【Global Times Report, Reporter Li Ziyu】According to Yonhap News Agency, the South Korean presidential office on the 5th expressed that South Korea will promote relations with China based on the Republic of Korea-US alliance and continue to work to make the development of inter-Korean relations benefit the people of both countries.

Zhao Xian, photo from South Korean media

The report cited a statement from the South Korean presidential office, which said that Zhao Xian's remarks meant that although South Korea and China have some differences on individual issues, South Korea will continue to work to make the development of inter-Korean relations benefit the people of both countries and contribute to regional stability and prosperity.

The report said that the South Korean presidential office also mentioned that it hopes all parties pay attention, as Zhao Xian's speech emphasized the necessity for South Korea to communicate and exchange with relevant parties.

On August 3, Zhao Xian, during an interview with The Washington Post, claimed that South Korea faces "problems where China causes some trouble to its neighbors" in Northeast Asia. Zhao Xian also said that South Korea needs to convey to China the message that "we are willing to maintain good relations with China and hope to see China abide by international law in bilateral relations and regional affairs." In addition, when talking about the regional situation, Zhao Xian once again regarded China's "rise" as a challenge, stating that it is necessary to maintain a certain level of "alertness." He said that in the face of so-called "new challenges in the region," South Korea realized the necessity of engaging with China, and he believed that trying to contain China unilaterally would not work as expected.

Regarding the South Korean foreign minister's remarks on China, Dong Xiangrong, a researcher at the Institute of Asia-Pacific and Global Strategy of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on August 4 that the policy tone of the South Korean foreign minister tends to favor Japan and the United States, and his evaluation of China follows the framework of discourse used by Western countries such as the United States. From his speech, it is not difficult to see that conservative tendencies dominate, and even if there are some progressive expressions, they are based on the basic framework of the ROK-US alliance and the trilateral cooperation of the US-Japan-ROK.

According to a recent disclosure by Hong Kong's South China Morning Post, the pressure that the United States has been exerting on South Korea in terms of security has been increasing. Analysts said that the United States is increasingly clearly demanding its allies to take on more defense responsibilities. The report said that in this evolving landscape, the main mission of the U.S. forces stationed in South Korea may expand from deterring North Korea to conducting wide-ranging operations in the "Indo-Pacific" region. "South Korea is facing increasing pressure from its American allies to take sides in the competition between the United States and China."

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