[Beijing Diary] People Visiting China

World-renowned 'heavyweight' figures are increasingly making appearances in China. The person who arranged meetings with unexpected figures at the most surprising timing is Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft (MS). On the 16th, he met with Xi Jinping, President of China, who warmly welcomed him as "the first American friend met in Beijing this year." This can be seen as a response to Gates' longstanding interest in China's development and support through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Visits by American business and financial leaders to China have also become noticeably frequent. Earlier this month, Jamie Dimon, CEO of JP Morgan, visited China, followed by Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, and Laxman Narasimhan, CEO of Starbucks, at the end of May. In March, Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, had a bustling schedule meeting not only Premier Li Qiang but also Chinese consumers before returning home.

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

Recently, the visit of Tony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State, scheduled for the 18th, has drawn attention. Secretary Blinken is expected to meet with Qin Gang, Chinese Foreign Minister, to discuss bilateral issues as well as regional security matters including North Korea, and areas of U.S.-China cooperation. This is interpreted as a strategic move to shift from a phase of U.S.-China decoupling to one of de-risking.

What is the atmosphere like within China? Despite rising tensions in U.S.-China relations, the visit of American businesspeople is welcomed, and local media are paying close attention to Blinken’s visit. Politics and economics seem to operate on their own rhythms?striking when necessary, taking what can be taken, and adjusting the pace according to circumstances.

News of visits to China from South Korea has also been coming in one after another. Five Democratic Party lawmakers, including Kim Tae-nyeon, met with Sun Weidong, Vice Foreign Minister, and several think tanks in Beijing from the 12th to the 15th of this month before returning home. Meanwhile, seven lawmakers from the same party, including Do Jong-hwan, visited China on the 15th for cultural exchange purposes. On the other hand, plans for visits to China by high-ranking officials of our government, including Foreign Minister Park Jin, have not yet been announced. The ruling party criticized the Democratic Party lawmakers’ visits as "humiliating diplomacy." In China, the visits by our National Assembly members are regarded as routine diplomacy without significant coverage.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Of course, diplomatic methods vary, and each country’s unique circumstances must be considered. Warm welcomes and attention within China are not necessarily measures of importance. By that logic, no one can surpass soccer player Lionel Messi (who recently visited China on the 15th for a friendly match against Australia).

However, if the visit of Secretary Blinken marks a new phase in U.S.-China conflicts, concerns arise about South Korea’s ambiguous position. In the complex global situation, diplomacy toward China must establish at least a minimal bipartisan direction. Unfortunately, the current political sphere does not seem to be carefully judging precedents, contexts, pros, and cons to set this direction. Why is it that only the people sincerely believe that national interest should come before political strife?