Taiwan issue casts shadow over South Korea-China summit

China said it believes South Korea will maintain a responsible stance toward history and its people, take the correct position, and uphold international justice, noting that this includes adherence to the one-China principle on the Taiwan issue. The remarks effectively called for a clear statement on Taiwan ahead of President Lee Jae-myung’s upcoming state visit to China.

According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Wednesday, Wang Yi, director of the Chinese Communist Party Central Foreign Affairs Commission Office and China’s foreign minister, made the comments during a phone call the previous day with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun. Wang said China attaches great importance to and welcomes President Lee’s visit, adding that joint efforts by both sides would bring new progress to the South Korea-China strategic cooperative partnership.

President Lee is scheduled to pay a four-day state visit to China from Jan. 4 to 7 and hold his second summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The visit will mark the first state visit by a South Korean president to China in eight years, following former President Moon Jae-in’s trip in 201.

Wang also criticized what he described as attempts by some Japanese political forces to reverse historical assessments and re-evaluate crimes of aggression and colonial rule. China has taken economic countermeasures in response to comments by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on possible intervention in a Taiwan contingency, including issuing travel advisories and delaying rare earth exports.

China’s Foreign Ministry said Cho told Wang that South Korea’s respect for the one-China principle would remain unchanged. South Korea’s Foreign Ministry, however, said in a separate statement that the two ministers exchanged views on developments on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia and agreed to continue efforts toward regional stability and prosperity, without mentioning Taiwan.

A South Korean government official said the Taiwan issue was raised only to confirm China’s position, adding that the summit would include detailed discussions on a range of bilateral issues not reflected in the initial readout.


Oh-Hyuk Kwon hyuk@donga.com