South Korea rejects China’s version of President Moon’s Hong Kong remarks
- Beijing’s position that Hong Kong and Xinjiang are internal affairs ‘well noted’ but not endorsed, according to Seoul’s presidential office
- Foreign ministry statements quote Moon and other leaders in support of China’s stance
Seoul has contradicted an attempt by Beijing to back South Korea into China’s official stance on Hong Kong and Xinjiang.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in was quoted by the Chinese foreign ministry to have stated that the troubled regions were China’s internal affairs during meetings on Monday in Beijing with President Xi Jinping, who also met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
But the line was nowhere to be found in the official statement issued by the South Korean government and, on Tuesday, a spokesman from South Korea’s presidential office, also known as the Blue House, issued a clarification.
“President Xi explained that Hong Kong and Xinjiang issues were internal affairs. President Moon said ‘well noted’ in response,” the spokesman Ko Min-jung said.
