As China opposes foreign interference in ties, South Korea rejects ‘zero-sum’ diplomacy
- For the first time in nearly two years, the foreign ministers of China and South Korea have held talks in the shadow of closer Seoul-Washington ties
- Trade protectionism, supply chain stability and the imminent trilateral leaders’ summit were also discussed in Beijing talks
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul arrived in Beijing early on Monday for a two-day visit as Seoul tries to navigate strains with Beijing brought on by its stronger ties with the United States under the administration of President Yoon Suk-yeol.
It was the first visit to China by a South Korean foreign minister in nearly two years and Monday’s talks were the first between the countries’ top diplomats since August 2022 when Wang and South Korea’s then foreign minister Park Jin met in the eastern Chinese port city of Qingdao.
During the talks, Cho said his country did not approach foreign relations as “zero-sum” relationships, indicating that strengthening ties with one nation did not necessarily mean drifting away from others.
“South Korea is not in favour of a zero-sum game and hopes to develop relations with all countries in a balanced manner, and is willing to work with China to … avoid geopolitical constraints as much as possible to open up a new horizon of bilateral cooperation,” a Chinese foreign ministry statement quoted Cho as saying.
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Beijing criticises South Korea for inviting Taiwan to democracy summit
The comments appeared to be an attempt to ease Beijing’s concerns over closer Seoul-Washington ties.