Chinese Media Focuses on Taiwan Mention in South Korea-US Joint Statement

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Cheol-hyun] Chinese state media have focused on the mention of Taiwan and the South China Sea in the joint statement of the South Korea-US summit. On the 22nd, Global Times reported on the joint statement announced by President Moon Jae-in and US President Joe Biden in Washington on the 21st (local time), saying, "Taiwan and the South China Sea were mentioned, and the leaders of South Korea and the US pledged to maintain an inclusive, free, and open Indo-Pacific region, emphasizing the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait."

Da Zhiqiang, director of the Northeast Asia Research Institute at the Heilongjiang Academy of Social Sciences, also commented on the joint statement of the South Korea-US summit, saying, "The emphasis on the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait was unexpected by many," and expressed concerns that "the pressure to involve South Korea and Japan to contain China is intensifying, but this does not align with South Korea's national interests and the realities of Northeast Asia, and it will affect the improvement of China-South Korea relations, leading to aftereffects."

On Weibo, China's version of Twitter, the mention of Taiwan and the South China Sea in relation to the South Korea-US summit was highlighted as a key point. Chinese netizens have flooded the comments with criticism, saying things like "The US should not use South Korea to interfere in internal affairs."