The Russia-Ukraine conflict that broke out in 2022 was like a major earthquake, causing drastic changes in the world's geopolitical plates. China's diplomatic moves to assess the situation have led to reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran, held China-Central Asia and China-Southeast Asia summits, and deepened cooperation with France and other European countries. China-US relations, which had been spiraling downward, have stopped falling and stabilized, and Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom have sent officials to visit China one after another to stabilize bilateral relations. After dealing with the above matters, China has recently begun to "control" in Northeast Asia.
At the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Doi-yeol came to China on May 13 for a two-day visit. This is the first visit to China by a South Korean foreign minister in more than six years.
It is said that distant relatives are not as good as close neighbors, and China and South Korea are very close to each other, but they do not move around often, and the reason has a lot to do with the United States. South Korea is heavily dependent on the United States for its national defense and security, and the "seven inches" are in the hands of the United States, so it needs to obey US orders. The strategic goal of the United States is to contain China, and South Korea is one of the bridgeheads. In this case, South Korea has no other option than to follow the United States in the fight against China. With the U.S.-China relationship stabilizing from falling to a halt, South Korea finally has the opportunity to operate the bilateral relationship on its own.
According to reports, during his visit to China, Cho will exchange views with the Chinese side on the development direction of ROK-China relations and supply chain cooperation. In addition, Cho will convene a meeting of the Consul General in China and urge the Consulate General to actively work to strengthen exchanges with local cities in China and contribute to the development of ROK-China relations.
There is no doubt that Cho's visit to China will contribute to the improvement of Sino-ROK relations. However, due to South Korea's excessive dependence on the United States, the increasingly fierce economic competition between China and South Korea, and the influence of geopolitical factors on the peninsula, it is unlikely that China-South Korea relations will improve significantly, and the degree of improvement will be less than that of China-US relations.
It is worth noting that at almost the same time as the ROK foreign minister's visit to China, Japan's Sasakawa Peace Foundation announced that it would hold an exchange of officers at the school level between the Self-Defense Forces and the Chinese armed forces in Japan from 14 to 20 July. Earlier, a delegation from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force visited China, met with senior Chinese military officials, and discussed security and other topics with members of our military's think tank. Officials of Japan's Self-Defense Forces said that they hope that through this visit, they will understand China's thoughts firsthand. A delegation of Chinese military officers was supposed to return in September, but the plan was cancelled. Today, 20 Chinese colonel-level officers will visit Japan, where they will visit the Ministry of Defense, the Air Self-Defense Force's Komaki Base in Komaki City, Aichi Prefecture, and the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Maizuru Base in Maizuru City, Kyoto Prefecture.
China and Japan have strengthened communication in the military field and strategic communication with China and the United States, and they all have a common role, that is, to eliminate misunderstandings and resolve differences through communication. As far as China is concerned, if Japan can be reassured and no longer interfere in the Taiwan Strait issue, there will be one less obstacle to resolving the Taiwan Strait issue in the future. For Japan, the consequences of a conflict with China are too serious for Japan to afford. If we can negotiate with China, we can avoid becoming cannon fodder.
China, Japan, and South Korea are all East Asian countries, and the distance between them is very low. Against the backdrop of extraterritorial interference sowing discord, the three countries should contribute to the overall prosperity and peace of East Asia. As long as long-term peace in East Asia is ensured, all three countries will benefit from it.
(Text/Woo Tsai)