[Asia Economy Reporter Jo Yoo-jin] Chinese state media predicted that President Moon Jae-in would not join the U.S.-led anti-China front ahead of the Group of Seven (G7) summit held in Cornwall, UK.
The state-run Global Times reported on the 11th that although South Korea will attend the G7 summit as an invited country along with Australia, India, and South Africa, only G7 countries will participate in the joint statement, citing a Blue House announcement.
Lu Chao, a researcher at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences in China, said in an interview, "South Korea prefers not to get involved in the U.S.-China competition."
He added, "Since South Korea values economic and trade opportunities with China, President Moon Jae-in will reasonably and calmly assess the risks of satisfying U.S. interests."
Earlier, on the 9th, Wang Yi, China's State Councilor and Foreign Minister, criticized the U.S.-led Indo-Pacific strategy targeting China during a phone call with South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong, warning South Korea not to "follow the wrong rhythm."
As the U.S. is expected to lead efforts to contain China at the G7 summit, this was also interpreted as a warning to South Korea not to be swept up in the anti-China trend.
Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, also said at a regular briefing on the 10th regarding the call between Foreign Minister Chung and Wang Yi, "The two ministers reached significant consensus on China-Korea relations and common interests," and added, "China hopes to faithfully implement the shared understanding achieved with South Korea and further advance China-Korea relations."
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