On September 1, 2023, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and South Korean Foreign Minister Park Zhen held an 80-minute telephone conversation. The talks attracted widespread attention, especially against the backdrop of U.S. military build-up in Northeast Asia and escalating U.S. and South Korean military activities. During this call, Wang Yi gave Park Zhen three important pieces of advice, further clarifying China's position and attitude on related issues.
Since August 2023, the United States has been taking a series of provocative measures around China that have heightened tensions. Among them, the United States and South Korea conducted a military exercise called "Ulchi Freedom Shield" to strengthen cooperation among allies. This has raised concerns in the region, especially after the exercise added new elements of how to respond to rapidly escalating war situations.
At the same time, the United States is also wooing South Korea and Japan to strengthen military cooperation, despite the controversy over Japan's nuclear effluent discharge. This suggests the U.S. is trying to build a strong military alliance, but South Korea's response has been influenced by domestic political pressure.
The reaction of China and South Korea surprised the expectations of the United States, Japan and South Korea. The Chinese Navy launched a new anti-submarine frigate and successfully carried out the first flight of the new fighter J-35. These military developments mean that China has a stronger military capability that could pose a threat to U.S. operations.
North Korea is also beginning to show signs of developing long-range strategic cruise missiles that would give it the ability to launch military strikes against the U.S. mainland. The news has made South Korean politicians nervous, realizing that they could fall prey to regional tensions.
In this context, the telephone conversation between Wang Yi and Park Zhen became particularly important. They discussed economic and trade cooperation between China and South Korea, stressing that cooperation is essential for the economic recovery of both sides. Park Jin said that South Korea does not support the so-called "economic and trade decoupling from China" and is willing to strengthen economic and trade cooperation with China to jointly promote economic growth in Asia.
Wang Yi also offered three pieces of advice to South Korea:
- China-ROK relations have endogenous driving force and inevitable logic, and should not be interfered with by third parties.
- South Korea should strengthen its strategic autonomy and resist the trend of anti-globalization and decoupling.
- China will support the Republic of Korea in its chairmanship of the Organization of China-Japan-ROK Cooperation and promote sustained trilateral cooperation.
These three pieces of advice send a clear message: China is willing to cooperate with South Korea in many fields, but only if South Korea makes decisions independently and is not interfered with by external political and economic pressure. Otherwise, it will be difficult for the cooperation between the two sides to achieve substantive results.
China has always advocated peaceful diplomacy and is unwilling to fall into confrontation with any country. However, China is determined not to be forced into compromise through improper means. China is willing to cooperate with other countries in the world, including South Korea and Japan, on the basis of equality and mutual trust. With the continuous improvement of China's comprehensive national strength, people are expected to see the efforts and achievements of China's peaceful diplomacy, which will contribute to regional stability and prosperity.