China Tells Seoul to Avoid Taking Sides, Blames US Policy for Korean Tensions
China's top diplomat urges South Korea to stay neutral in US-China rivalry and blames Washington's North Korea policy for regional tensions.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has called on South Korea to maintain strategic independence and avoid aligning with either Beijing or Washington, while attributing the current tensions on the Korean Peninsula to the United States' approach toward North Korea.
Speaking in Seoul on Thursday during a meeting with South Korean National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac, Wang said the fundamental solution to the peninsula's instability lies in addressing its root causes and pressing the United States to give up what he described as its "hostile" policy toward Pyongyang.
Wang also expressed hope that Seoul would pursue genuine strategic autonomy, refrain from bloc confrontation, and develop its relations with major powers, including China and the United States, in parallel without contradiction.
The remarks came a day after US President Donald Trump announced plans to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this year, noting that the country possesses 57 "very powerful" nuclear weapons. Trump has also ordered Pentagon officials to shorten joint military exercises with South Korea, citing his "very good relationship" with Kim.
Washington has maintained its official position demanding North Korea's denuclearisation, a demand Pyongyang has consistently rejected. On Thursday, Japan's government and coastguard reported that North Korea fired a suspected ballistic missile toward the sea.
Wang told Wi that China would welcome a move toward peaceful coexistence between the two Koreas and called for a restart of dialogue and restoration of trust.
In separate talks with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, Wang urged Seoul to maintain a friendly policy toward China, saying bilateral ties had "fully recovered" and made positive progress this year. He added that a rational, pragmatic, and positive approach to China aligns with South Korea's interests and the trend of the times.
Wang also pushed for an early conclusion of second-stage free trade agreement talks between the two countries, arguing that they should promote regional economic integration amid growing global economic fragmentation and rising trade protectionism.