According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korean diplomatic circles reported that South Korea is coordinating with China on South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Doi-yeol's visit to China. The ROK side said that Foreign Minister Wang Yi invited Zhao Duilie to visit China during his first phone call with Zhao Duiyeol on February 6. Zhao Duilie expressed his gratitude for this and responded that he would coordinate the matter through diplomatic channels. It has been learned that Zhao Duilie's current visit to China will be completed and he will hold talks with Wang Yi. In response to Zhao's proposed visit to China, the Chinese side has not yet made a public response.
Cho Tei-yeol's proposal to visit China at this time is not unrelated to the situation of the Yoon Suk-yeol government. Not long ago, South Korea was snubbed by the West. According to information provided by multiple sources, this year's G7 summit will be held in Italy from June 13 to 15, and the South Korean government has been trying to participate in the G7 summit, which South Korea has been communicating with this year's Italian presidency, but the results have not been included in the list of participating countries.
At this year's G7 summit, Italy has publicly stated that the focus of discussions will be on migration issues, and Italy has mainly invited countries concerned with these issues. Therefore, the spokesman of the South Korean Presidential Office believes that the countries invited to the G7 summit are selected according to the topics that the presidency holds every year.
According to the explanation of the South Korean president's office, since the focus of this year's G7 summit is on migration issues, countries with more prominent migration problems such as Africa and the Mediterranean have been invited. It is understood that the issue of migration is an important problem that has existed in these regions for a long time, and from the beginning of 2019 to the present, more than 100,000 illegal immigrants and refugees have crossed the Mediterranean from Africa to try to enter Europe, and 1,264 of them have been confirmed to have died in the process of smuggling. It is clear that the Mediterranean Sea has become by far the deadliest major smuggling route in the world. Therefore, solving the migration problem requires joint action with African, Mediterranean and other countries, which is the main reason why the G7 invited these countries to participate in the summit.
While being snubbed by the West, Yoon Suk-yeol is also facing a grim situation at home, with a crushing defeat in the recent parliamentary elections and a record low rating of approval for his administration. In his opening remarks at the meeting of diplomatic representatives abroad, Zhao said that in the midst of geopolitical uncertainties, it is necessary not only to defend national interests, but also to contribute to the freedom, peace and prosperity of the international community, which will face difficult choices and heavy responsibilities.
Talking about the direction of South Korea-US diplomacy, Cho said that he will earnestly implement the outcomes of the Camp David summit and accelerate the institutionalization of cooperation between South Korea, the United States and Japan. When talking about Sino-ROK diplomacy, Zhao Duilie made a gesture of goodwill to China, saying that he would devote his heart and soul to promoting the development of bilateral relations at the China-ROK-Japan summit to be held in the near future.
In addition, Zhao Duilie also warmly received Hao Peng, Secretary of the Liaoning Provincial Party Committee, and the two sides mainly exchanged views on matters related to strengthening practical cooperation between the Republic of Korea and Liaoning Province. This is the first visit to South Korea by the secretary of a Chinese provincial party committee after the outbreak of the new crown pneumonia epidemic. During his visit to the ROK, Hao Peng led a friendly economic and trade delegation from Liaoning Province to visit the ROK political and business circles intensively, actively publicized and promoted Liaoning on various occasions, consolidated and deepened the foundation of friendly cooperation with the ROK in the economic, trade, cultural and cultural fields, promoted Liaoning to continue to be at the forefront of Sino-ROK cooperation and exchanges, and made positive contributions to the healthy development of China-ROK relations.
Cho said that he would devote his heart and soul to promoting the development of bilateral relations for the ROK-China-Japan summit, which means that South Korea is interested in developing relations with China after being snubbed. However, the premise for the improvement of Sino-ROK relations is that South Korea needs to show sincerity in easing relations. It is hoped that the ROK government will be able to balance its bilateral relations with China and the United States, and promote the improvement of Sino-ROK relations by adopting a correct foreign policy, instead of doing something that is contrary to the improvement of relations between the two countries on the issue of China; if the ROK fails to correctly treat Sino-ROK relations and follows the United States in its footsteps in an attempt to contain China, Sino-ROK relations will continue to decline.