South korea-china relations are expected to be the main focus of South Korea’s diplomacy in March, the Yonhap News Agency said on March 2, as the impeachment of South Korea’s president has prevented the start of the summit diplomacy. Reported that the rok-us foreign ministers and rok-us-japan foreign ministers will be held during the 61st Munich Security Conference in February, March will usher in the rok-china foreign ministers and rok-china-japan foreign ministers. At present, the Chinese side has not confirmed the news.
Yonhap news agency quoted South Korean diplomatic sources said, South Korea, China and Japan on the 22nd of this month, foreign ministers held in Tokyo, the program final coordination. It will be the first such meeting in a year and four months, following the 2023 meeting in Busan in November. The three sides may exchange views on matters related to the trilateral leaders’ meeting to be held in Japan this year. The foreign ministers are expected to hold bilateral talks on the sidelines of the meeting.
Reported that South Korea and China have been on the Chinese foreign minister to visit Japan after the side visit to South Korea for exchanges. If the two sides failed to communicate, the rok-china foreign ministers’ meeting will be held in Tokyo. South Korean media recalled that the most recent meeting between the Korean and Chinese foreign ministers was held in New York in September last year. Since then, President Donald Trump came to power again, and some South Korean forces incited anti-china sentiment under the political situation of impeachment. There have been many changes worthy of common concern by both Korea and China. Against this backdrop, it will be interesting to see what Seoul and Beijing think of the Donald Trump administration’s pressure on Beijing. In addition, the two foreign ministers will exchange views on the“Trade War” launched by the United States. The two sides are also likely to express concern about the recent rise in anti-china sentiment in South Korea and agree that it should not affect the healthy and stable development of bilateral ties. The two countries are also expected to Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation on the subject, given their respective presidencies of the asia-pacific economic cooperation (APEC) this year and next.
However, “Korea Daily” reported on the 3rd that China’s foreign minister invited to visit South Korea’s plan may be difficult to do. Although there was news that China’s foreign minister may visit South Korea this month, but there are many obstacles in south korea-china relations. A man dressed as“Captain America” has been arrested for trying to break into a Chinese Embassy, Seoul, and anti-china demonstrations have intensified as the impeachment trial against President Yin Xiyue approaches, a number of unfavourable factors had arisen between the two countries and it was therefore possible to reschedule them according to the circumstances.
With the spread of anti-china sentiment in South Korea, South Korean public opinion has emerged in recent days the voice of concern and reflection. “Absurd far-right ‘conspiracy theories’ are spreading-far from being patriotic, they are having a ‘negative impact, ‘” South Korean YTN television said Feb. 23 under the headline, recently, some unverified claims have spread in South Korean society, and there have even been fake news reports that the election management commission arrested Chinese spies during the emergency martial law, although these have been denied by the military stationed in South Korea and other agencies, but the rumors keep spreading. Reported that these remarks appeared in Yin Xiyue supporters gathered in the extreme right-wing community and rally site. There are concerns that out-of-control anti-china conspiracy theories and anti-china sentiment could eventually burden South Korean diplomacy. Lee Suk-won, a professor of Chinese Culture at a South Korean Sogang University, said Korean companies were entering the Chinese market and relying on Chinese consumers, a situation that would be extremely detrimental to their access to the Chinese market. Whether from the perspective of national interests, or from the perspective of maintaining the healthy development of Korean society, it will bring huge negative impact.
On February 28, South Korea’s“Asia Daily” also wrote an article entitled“Folk warmth is hard-won, how can china-related rumors become ‘traffic passwords’ ?” A small number of right-wing conservatives and right-wing youtubers are trying to gain“Traffic” by forcibly linking South Korea’s domestic unrest to China, and some politicians are trying to gain conservative votes, join the ranks of those who openly spread rumors. The article said that the recent practical cooperation between the two countries in the areas of economy, trade and culture continues to release positive signals. After China added South Korea to its visa-free“Circle of friends” at the end of last year, many young South Koreans went to China for the weekend. It is necessary for South Korea to make a positive response to the goodwill released by China, and not allow china-related unfounded rumors to spread wantonly and become“Traffic passwords” for extremists with ulterior motives, to undermine the hard-won momentum of people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.