[Editorial] China’s Meddling in Domestic Politics Cannot Be Condoned

It has become belatedly known that the Chinese Embassy in Seoul attempted to pressure lawmakers from both sides of the aisle not to attend last month’s inauguration of Taiwanese President Chen Shui-ban. The Embassy demanded individual lawmakers over the phone and National Assembly leaders in a formal request to call off their visits. In sum, this is an intervention in domestic politics by a foreign country that should neither be accepted as a diplomatic practice nor condoned.

It is understandable that the inauguration of Chen, a supporter for Taiwanese independence, as the island country’s president concerns China which maintains “one China” as a bedrock principle. Nevertheless, this cannot justify its urging of another country to isolate Taiwan. Will the country accept it if another country makes a similar demand to China? The reason why Koreans were singled out from the 500 international delegates across 60 countries for Chinese pressure also begs a question.

The government has the largest share of the blame for the ill-mannered demand by the Chinese Embassy. Since 1992 when it severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan and normalized relations with China, the government has been attempting to ingratiate itself with China. Its low-key attitude was the underlying cause for the current turn of events.

The lawmakers cannot evade criticism because they did not go public about it even 15 days after the demand. They have hushed about the phone calls that violated diplomatic norms. We worry about how they will safeguard national interest with such an attitude in a highly competitive international community.

Since it took office, the government has been stressing “independent diplomacy.” It is contradictory for it to keep silent about the unjust intervention in local politics by the Chinese Embassy while it says it will exercise “independent diplomacy.” The government should sternly protest the Chinese Embassy and win an apology. If this issue is ended by half-measures, China will just make light of Korea as a country that can be handled easily.