Second Face-to-Face Meeting... Proceeding in a Warm and Friendly Atmosphere
[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] Foreign Minister Park Jin visited China for the first time since his inauguration and held talks with Wang Yi, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister in charge of diplomacy.
On the afternoon of the 9th, Minister Park and Commissioner Wang held a small-scale meeting with a few attendees for about 1 hour and 40 minutes at the Jimo Gaosheng Junlan Hotel in Jimo District, Qingdao City, followed by an expanded meeting.
In his opening remarks at the expanded meeting, Commissioner Wang stated, "On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations, we must summarize the beneficial experiences that have led to success so far and properly understand the major phase of bilateral relations."
He said, "Looking toward the next 30 years, both China and Korea must uphold independence and autonomy and not be affected by external obstacles and influences," adding, "We must maintain good-neighborly friendship and consider each other's major concerns." He also said, "We must uphold win-win cooperation to protect stable and smooth supply chains and industrial networks, and uphold equality and respect to avoid interfering in each other's internal affairs." Additionally, he expressed the need to uphold multilateralism.
The mention of protecting supply chains and non-interference in internal affairs appears to imply hopes that the U.S.-led semiconductor supply chain restructuring, in which Korea also participates, will not be exclusive to China, as well as implications regarding the Taiwan issue.
He also emphasized, "The China-Korea relationship, which has endured hardships through storms and rain, must naturally become more mature, more autonomous, and stronger."
In response, Minister Park said, "On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations, the two countries, having spent a long time together, must build a cooperative China-Korea relationship that pursues mutual interests based on mutual respect."
He added, "In accordance with national interests and principles, we will seek cooperation with China in the spirit of 'harmony without uniformity' (和而不同), and I hope that the two countries will engage in win-win cooperation for freedom, peace, and prosperity based on 'universal human values and norms.'"
He further stated, "Peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula are now being threatened unprecedentedly," and emphasized that based on the consistent principle of North Korea's complete denuclearization, they will respond firmly to provocations while always keeping the door open for dialogue. He requested China to play a constructive role in encouraging North Korea to choose dialogue over provocation.
He also said, "To this end, China and Korea, as strategic cooperative partners, must strengthen strategic communication at the highest level," and expressed anticipation for President Xi Jinping's visit to Korea at a convenient time.
Meanwhile, this is the second face-to-face meeting between Minister Park and Commissioner Wang. The two ministers held their first face-to-face meeting earlier last month in Bali, Indonesia, on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting. The small-scale meeting, initially expected to last about an hour, extended to about 1 hour and 40 minutes. Since small-scale meetings usually involve discussions on major strategic interests of both countries, including the Korean Peninsula issue, attention is focused on what discussions the two ministers exchanged.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
