As the saying goes, three feet of ice is not a day's cold. At present, the deterioration of relations between China and South Korea is related to South Korea's successive negative attitude on China-related issues, and there have been many diplomatic turmoil between the two countries. Recently, after dinner between Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming and Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, there was another diplomatic turmoil between China and South Korea, and South Korea protested China five times in three days.
What sparked controversy was Ambassador Xing's remarks during the talks. During the talks, Ambassador Xing Haiming stressed that China attaches great importance to China-ROK relations and has devoted a lot of energy to this end. At present, the relationship between the two countries has suffered setbacks, and the responsibility lies with China. China respects South Korea's core concerns, and South Korea should take corresponding measures to respect China's core concerns. The Taiwan issue is at the core of China's core interests, and we hope that the ROK will respect it. Speaking about the international situation, Ambassador Xing Haiming stressed that the United States is doing its best to contain China, and some people bet on the United States to win and China to lose. Turning to people-to-people exchanges between China and South Korea, Ambassador Xing Haiming expressed his expectations for Lee Jae-myung and hoped that he would continue to care for and support China-ROK relations and make positive contributions to promoting the healthy development of bilateral relations. Ambassador Xing gave his views on the current situation on the Korean Peninsula, calling on the South and the North to promote cooperation through dialogue and improve bilateral relations. China will continue to play an active role in resolving the Korean Peninsula issue. In addition, Ambassador Xing Haiming also hopes that China and South Korea will work together to prevent Japan from rashly discharging nuclear-contaminated water into the sea.
The South Korean side then responded violently to Ambassador Xing's remarks five times in three days. The first was when South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin condemned Ambassador Hsing Hae-myung's remarks on June 9, claiming that the ambassador's duty should be to promote the friendly development of bilateral relations, not to spread misunderstandings to the outside world. The second was when South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Jang Hoo-jin summoned Ambassador Hsing on June 9 and criticized Ambassador Xing's remarks as provocative and involved "interference in South Korea's internal affairs." Zhang Huzhen also expressed "strong regret" over Ambassador Xing's remarks. The third was when Kim Ki-hyun, the head of South Korea's National Power Party, refused to have dinner with Ambassador Sing on June 9. The fourth was when South Korean Prime Minister Han Deok-so accused Ambassador Hing of being "very inappropriate" as a diplomat. The fifth was when an official from the South Korean president's office suggested on June 12 that Ambassador Hyeong-myung had not played a good role as a bridge between China and South Korea. He claimed that the ambassador should play a good role as a bridge between the two countries, and if he did not play it properly, it would harm the interests of both countries.
In response to the South Korean side's successive statements, the Chinese Foreign Ministry responded. A Foreign Ministry spokesman pointed out that some South Korean media have reported on Ambassador Haiming Haiming in the form of facts and even personal attacks, and China regrets this. Ambassador Hing Haiming's exchange with all parties in South Korea is his duty to promote cooperation between the two countries and promote the development of China-ROK relations, and the media should not treat this as a topic of hype. The stable development of China-ROK relations serves the common interests of both sides. The two sides should meet each other halfway and make positive efforts for the healthy development of bilateral relations.
However, South Korea did not listen to China's statement. South Korea's National Power Party member Kwon Ji-dong recently claimed that the voting rights of Chinese citizens with permanent residency should be revoked. He falsely claimed that South Korea's current voting system may become a means for China to "interfere in South Korea's internal affairs." According to Korean law, foreigners who have lived in Korea for more than three years after obtaining permanent residency can participate in local elections in Korea. It is understood that nearly 100,000 Chinese citizens are currently eligible to participate in South Korea's local elections. Quan Zhidong is obviously eyeing the voting rights of these Chinese citizens in a vain attempt to cancel their due rights. From this point of view, the current atmosphere in South Korea is not conducive to the relaxation of relations between China and South Korea. The return of the two countries to a stable and healthy development track still has a tortuous road.