[박현영의 워싱턴 살롱] “Balanced diplomacy between the US and China, Korea, the time to choose will come”

The first high-level talks between the US and China since the inauguration of the Joe Biden administration will be held in Anchorage, Alaska on the 18th (local time). From the US side, Secretary of State Tony Blingen and White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan will attend, and from the Chinese side, Yang Jietz, a political officer in charge of diplomatic affairs at the Communist Party, and Wang Yi, a member of the diplomatic affairs department and head of foreign affairs, will attend.

This talk is the starting point for the trajectory of US-China relations over the next four years. In order to find out the relationship between the two countries in Biden’s era and their impact on Korea, I interviewed with video last month with Win-Sun, co-director of the East Asia Program at Washington Think Tank Stimson Center.

He is of Chinese descent and is one of the leading US-China relations experts in Washington. He predicted that Korea’s pursuit of balanced diplomacy between the United States and China will certainly have advantages, but the point of choice will come. The following is one question and one answer.

Prior to the first talks with China, the Biden administration worked diligently. It coordinated closely with not only Asia but also European countries. Biden’s principle of public diplomacy is to “strengthen the alliance to check China together”.

A senior U.S. administration official said, “In fact, all countries in Asia, Europe, and many other countries have extensively confirmed their views on Asia and China.” “He explained.

The diplomacy of the “China pressure” by the United States began on the 12th at the Quad summit, a consultative group of the U.S., Japan, Australia, and India to check China. At the first quad summit, “President Biden discussed the challenge posed by China with other leaders,” National Security Adviser Sullivan said.

“Free, open and democratic values”, announced in a joint statement by the Quad Leaders, is a diplomatic term with criticism that China rejects freedom and openness. For example, “free and open voyage” is the logic of “freedom of navigation” by the United States toward China, which intends to make the South China Sea territorial.

The Biden administration said it would cover all agendas between the two countries at high-level talks between the US and China. Specifically, he announced that he would clearly and directly emphasize concerns such as the violation of human rights of the Xinjiang Uighurs, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and economic boycotts against Australia.

Among these issues, Xinjiang, Hong Kong, and Taiwan have been regarded by China as interference in internal affairs. However, a high-ranking official in the US administration opened up the issue of cooperation between the United States and China, saying, “We will also open up the possibility of areas where policies can be adjusted or coordinated, such as problems related to climate change or proliferation.”

Washington = Correspondent Park Hyun-young [email protected]