During King's Postponed Visit to Korea, Chinese Foreign Ministry States "Communicating for High-Level Exchanges"

"Korea-China Relations Are Good"... Announcement Upon Schedule Confirmation
Background of Postponed Visit Remains Unclear

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] Regarding the postponement of Wang Yi, China's State Councilor and Foreign Minister, visiting South Korea, Chinese diplomatic authorities stated on the 6th that "we are communicating for high-level exchanges with South Korea."

Minister Wang was originally scheduled to visit South Korea next week, but the visit was postponed due to circumstances on the Chinese side.

The spokesperson office of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "Currently, the development of China-South Korea relations is favorable," and added, "High-level exchanges between the two countries play an important role in the development of bilateral relations." They continued, "Both sides are communicating regarding (high-level exchanges), and if there is news that (the schedule) has been confirmed, we will announce it immediately."

The '5th Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (19th 5th Plenum),' held from the 26th to the 29th of this month, is being cited as the background for the postponement of the visit. At the 19th 5th Plenum, the '14th Five-Year Plan for Economic Development of China' will be discussed. It is an important meeting that determines the basic framework of China's economy for five years from 2021 to 2025.

Chinese state-run media such as Xinhua News Agency and People's Daily have already been continuously reporting on the achievements of China's 13th Five-Year Plan for Economic Development (2016?2020), preparing for the 14th Five-Year Plan.

However, since the schedule for the 19th 5th Plenum was already set internally, there are also opinions that the 19th 5th Plenum cannot be the reason for the postponement of the visit.

Some speculate that the postponement of U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to South Korea is the reason behind Minister Wang's postponed visit.

It was anticipated that during Minister Wang's visit, China would discuss its position on U.S.-China conflicts and the situation on the Korean Peninsula after the U.S. presidential election. The analysis that Minister Wang's visit was postponed due to the delay in Secretary Pompeo's visit schedule is also circulating.

Minister Wang has been traveling to various countries, including Europe, explaining China's position on U.S.-China conflicts and seeking understanding, so the visit to South Korea was also seen as an extension of that effort.

There were also talks that the visit might involve discussions on the postponed visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), but given South Korea's COVID-19 situation and the results of the U.S. presidential election, it is known that President Xi's visit is more likely to happen later and is unrelated to Minister Wang's visit.