Chinese Ambassador to Seoul Xing Haiming
In a meeting on June 8 with Lee Jae-myung, the leader of South Korea’s main opposition party, Chinese Ambassador to Seoul Xing Haiming said South Korea should not “make the wrong bet” in the US-China rivalry. The diplomat also called on South Korea to stop “decoupling” from China and restore economic and diplomatic ties between the two countries, according to Reuters.
Ambassador Xing accused Seoul of causing "difficulties" in bilateral relations by failing to respect Beijing's core interests, including the Taiwan issue, while being influenced by Washington.
"China-South Korea relations are facing many difficulties. To be honest, China is not at fault... We hope that the South Korean side will keep its promise and clearly respect China's core interests, such as the Taiwan issue," Mr. Xing said during the meeting, according to a statement issued by the Chinese Embassy.
The diplomat also warned South Korea against making a “misjudgment” about China due to “interference from external factors” such as pressure from the US. “I can assure you that those who believe China is doomed to fail will surely regret it,” he said.
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South Korea's Foreign Ministry said on June 9 that First Vice Minister Chang Ho-jin summoned Ambassador Hing to warn him about the "provocative" remarks and express "deep regret." According to Chang, publicly criticizing Seoul's policies with "untrue content and unacceptable expressions" could be seen as interference in South Korea's internal affairs.
"Vice Minister Chang clearly warned Ambassador Hing... that he will be held responsible for any consequences," the South Korean Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Mr. Lee's party has criticized South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol for saying the administration's biased foreign policy toward the United States has damaged relations between Seoul and Beijing, even though China is South Korea's top trading partner.
Mr. Yoon has acted cautiously amid growing US-China rivalry, but Seoul and Beijing traded barbs in April over the South Korean president’s remarks about Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory.
In an interview with Reuters, Mr. Yoon said the escalating tensions around Taiwan were due to attempts to change the status quo by force and said he opposed such change.
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