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| U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blincoln (second from right) and White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan held a meeting with Yang Jietz, a Chinese Communist Party diplomatic politician and Wang Yi, a diplomatic state council member and foreign minister in Anchorage, Alaska on the 18th (local time). have. © AFP=News1 |
It is being evaluated that the Korean government is in a difficult situation between the US, its ally, and China, the largest trading partner. Conflict between the two countries surfaced through high-level talks between the United States and China held in Anchorage, Alaska, on the 18th and 19th (local time).
The Korean government has been advocating’balanced diplomacy’ between the US and China, but it is a general observation that if the conflict between the two countries becomes more pronounced than now, the burden will be increased.
US Secretary of State Tony Blincoln raised the issue of human rights violations with White House National Security Adviser Jake Sulliman at the meeting following his visit to Korea on the 17th and 18th, discussing Chinese authorities’ policies related to Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and Hong Kong.
Then, Chinese officials, such as Yang Jietsu’s diplomatic politician in charge of diplomatic affairs and Wang Yi, a member of the State Council in charge of foreign affairs and foreign affairs minister, protested as “interference in internal affairs” and brought up the issue of black human rights in the United States. In the United States last year, the over-repression and death of unarmed black men by white police caused a considerable impact.
As the two sides engaged in a battle like this, both comments, which were originally intended to be released to the media for only two minutes, continued for more than an hour.
Prior to this, Minister Blincoln raised the issue of human rights violations by the Chinese authorities from all remarks at the meeting of the Korean-US foreign ministers held in Seoul on the 17th. The content was not reflected in the joint statement adopted the next day for the Korea-US Foreign Affairs and Defense Ministers (2+2) talks, but Blincoln’s remarks at the time were interpreted as an intention to join Korea in the’anti-Chinese front’. Was enough.
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| US Secretary of State Tony Blincoln (left) and Foreign Minister Eui-yong Chung. 2021.3.18/News1 © News1 |
At a joint press conference after the Korea-US 2+2 talks, Minister Blincoln said, “We are trying to cooperate on a number of issues. Close cooperation with Korea,” regarding Korea’s participation in the’quad’ (US, Japan, China and India) four-country council. “I think this kind of meeting (quad) will bring huge benefits,” he said.
In the midst of this, the Chinese government is also engaged in a’serial diplomatic war’, holding talks with Russia this week following high-level talks with the United States. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visits China for two days on the 22nd and 23rd prior to his visit to Korea.
Just as US Secretary of Defense Blincoln and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited Japan and South Korea on a successive visit from the 15th of this month to emphasize’alliance’, China and Russia are also likely to seek’solidarity’ through this diplomatic ministers’ meeting. There is also a prospect that there is.
In the midst of this, the Korean government is explaining that the issue of quad participation was not discussed in the Korea-US 2+2 talks last week.
However, among some experts, it is diagnosed that if Korea participates in the quad and prevents the security aspect from being overemphasized, it can also be helpful for’balanced diplomacy’ between the US and China.
Professor Kim Hyun-wook of the National Academy of Foreign Affairs said, “What China is sensitive to is military checks from the United States such as the deployment of THAAD (high-altitude missile defense systems) on the Korean peninsula.” “I think it would be effective if the quad was linked with the interests of Korea such as the economy and made a voice so that it would not be tilted by military cooperation,” he said.