South Korea is pivoting to a “hard-line stance” in its relations with China following meetings between the two where Beijing used “high-handed” diplomatic rhetoric, the DongA Ilbo newspaper cited a “key” government official as saying.
Seoul will seek to reduce dependence on China’s supply chains and if needed could change how South Korea defines the “three nos” security undedrstanding with China, DongA reported, citing the South Korean official it did not name. Relations between the two have deteriorated due to China’s “absurd” remarks and it’s difficult to pursue common values unless China respects South Korea, the newspaper reported the official as saying.
The South Korean government plans to “de-risk” from its reliance on Chinese goods, such as battery materials, the newspaper reported, emphasizing that it wasn’t to the extent of completely decoupling from the world’s second-largest economy.
The report is the latest in a recent diplomatic back-and-forth between the two countries, which saw a downfall in ties in 2017. China at that time objected to South Korea deploying the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile shield over concerns its powerful radar would allow spying on China’s missile systems.
Then President Moon Jae-in ameliorated Beijing’s anger by pledging the “three nos” of no new Thaad deployments, no participation in a US missile defense network and no transformation of security cooperation among the US, Japan and South Korea into a military alliance.
China’s Ambassador Xing Haiming this month told South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung that he would be grateful if the government of current President Yoon Suk Yeol freed itself from external factors when dealing with China, likely a reference to Seoul’s deepening ties with the US. First Vice Foreign Minister Chang Ho-jin summoned Xing the following day to issue a stern warning over the remarks it deemed provocative and interfering in the county’s domestic politics.
On Saturday, China responded, expressing “grave concerns and dissatisfaction” over Seoul’s comments, speaking in a meeting with South Korean Ambassador Chung Jae-ho, according to a statement from the Beijing government. The statement from China also said leadership hopes South Korea will reflect on current issues in their bilateral relationship and take them seriously.
During a closed-door cabinet meeting held in the presidential office Tuesday, President Yoon Suk Yeol said the Chinese ambassador’s remarks were inappropriate for a diplomat, according to a separate report from Yonhap News, citing multiple people who attended the cabinet meeting.
South Korea is waiting for appropriate measures from China over the ambassador’s remark, Yonhap said in a separate report, citing an unidentified official in Yoon’s office.
Yoon is caught between the US, his country’s main security ally, and China, South Korea’s biggest trading partner. He’s shown support for Biden administration calls to restructure global supply chains to reduce dependence on China, drawing criticism from Beijing.
Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for boosting cooperation in high-tech manufacturing and working together to maintain a global free-trade system that ensures the security of supply chains.
The US has applied pressure to allies including South Korea to comply with its sweeping curbs on the sale of advanced chips and chipmaking equipment to China, where major South Korean semiconductor makers such as SK Hynix Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. operate facilities.