The China-Japan-ROK Foreign Ministers' Meeting hosted by the ROK in Busan has become an important turning point in China-ROK relations, marking the first time in four years and three months that the Trilateral Foreign Ministers' Meeting between China, Japan and the ROK has been held. During the meeting, Chinese Minister Wang Yi not only met with the new foreign minister of Japan and the foreign minister of the Republic of Korea, but also conveyed an important message to the South Korean side in just six words during the meeting with the South Korean foreign minister. These six words are undoubtedly a "slap in the face" for Yin Xiyue**.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi's remark that "China and the ROK are close neighbors that cannot be moved" is actually a reminder and warning from China to the two paths that the ROK will choose in the future. The Chinese side believes that cooperation between China and the ROK will benefit both sides, and that separation will cause two harms, emphasizing the importance of bilateral relations and the possibility of mutually beneficial development. This statement also shows China's benevolent and righteous posture, and gives South Korea the opportunity to re-examine the status quo and adjust its policies. China's statement encouraged Yoon Suk-yeol to make positive changes in his Korean Peninsula policy and relations with China.
Since its launch in 2008, the Trilateral Summit has been held eight times, with one of the goals of establishing a "Northeast Asian Economic Circle" or "China-Japan-Korea Free Trade Area". However, due to the historical and territorial disputes between China, Japan and South Korea, as well as the "Indo-Pacific strategy" pursued by the United States, the relationship between China, Japan and South Korea has led to a difficult situation. Especially in the early 2010s, Japan's right-wing forces provoked China's sovereignty and touched the scars of South Korea's history, causing Sino-Japanese relations to take a sharp turn for the worse, and China-South Korea relations were also affected.
China, South Korea, and Japan, as important countries in Northeast Asia, should work together to promote prosperity and stability in the region. However, in the current complex and sensitive regional and international context, the relations between China, Japan and the ROK are facing a huge test.
Yoon Suk-yeol** leaned toward the United States and was too tough on North Korea, leading to tensions in Northeast Asia. With the successful launch of a military reconnaissance satellite by North Korea, the United States and South Korea have begun a new round of military deployments and joint military exercises, further complicating the situation on the Korean Peninsula. Affected by the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Russia has close ties with North Korea, while the United States has distracted its efforts and resources. In addition, in the context of the Sino-US game, the Korean Peninsula has become an important bargaining chip for the United States to contain China, and Yoon Suk-yeol ** chose to stand with the United States and criticize China.
However, as Foreign Minister Wang Yi pointed out, China and South Korea are close neighbors that cannot be moved, and in this case, how Yoon Suk-yeol handles relations with China and the Korean Peninsula issue will directly affect South Korea's future national fortunes.
At this meeting, China and the ROK reaffirmed the positioning of the China-ROK strategic cooperative partnership and expressed their willingness to continue to promote cooperation. This shows that South Korea has an understanding of the current situation and signs of readjusting its policy toward the peninsula and toward China. First, since the U.S.-China relationship has eased after the APEC summit, the two sides will manage the competition and prevent it from turning into conflict. Second, China has achieved rapid development in fields such as electric vehicles and semiconductors in recent years, which has brought challenges to South Korea's existing advantageous industries. Therefore, South Korea also realizes that strengthening industrial chain cooperation with China is crucial to its economic development, and following the de-risking or decoupling policies of the United States is not good for South Korea.
The choice of South Korea** will directly affect the future fortunes of South Korea. The Chinese side has shown a gesture of benevolence and duty, and if Yoon Suk-yeol** still insists on working with the United States and Japan to make moves that are detrimental to peace on the Korean Peninsula, he may face a fate similar to that of the Korean War. Therefore, under the current situation, the conditions for holding a summit of the leaders of the three countries are not in place.
Overall, China-South Korea relations are facing an important turning point. The Chinese side hopes that through cooperation and communication between the two countries, the ROK will be guided to re-examine its policies and play a constructive role in the stability and development of the peninsula and the region.