South Korea's Yoon Suk-yeol recently visited the Netherlands and met with Dutch Prime Minister Rutte, and the two sides issued a joint statement expressing their willingness to strengthen cooperation in a number of areas, including maintaining a "free, open, inclusive and stable order" in the Indo-Pacific region.
This statement was interpreted by the outside world as South Korea's tendency to support the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy in an attempt to contain China's influence. However, this approach could have serious consequences for South Korea, as China is South Korea's largest partner and an important support for the South Korean economy.
China has issued two clear warnings to South Korea, suspending imports of South Korean plastic and paper waste and banning South Korean cultural products from entering the Chinese market. These two cuts have had a huge impact on South Korea's environment and cultural industries, and have also made the South Korean people feel uneasy and angry. Whether South Korea can correctly handle its relations with China is a key issue for South Korea's future development.
Yoon Suk-yeol's visit to the Netherlands is his first visit to a European country since taking office, and it is also his second foreign trip during the epidemic, which shows the importance he attaches to it.
During his meeting with Rutte, Yoon said South Korea and the Netherlands are "partners with the same values" and praised the Netherlands as "the innovation capital of Europe." The two sides also signed a number of cooperation agreements in the fields of economy and trade, science and technology, energy, climate change, and human rights.
Of particular concern is the fact that the two sides referred to the situation in the Indo-Pacific region in their joint statement, saying that "South Korea and the Netherlands are committed to maintaining a free, open, inclusive, and stable order in the Indo-Pacific region, as well as a rules-based international system, including cooperation in maritime security, cyberspace, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief."
The statement was seen as a sign of goodwill from South Korea to the United States, which has been pushing its Indo-Pacific strategy in an attempt to establish a U.S.-led alliance system in the region to counter China's rise. As a NATO ally of the United States and a supporter of the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy, the Netherlands has sent ** to participate in U.S. freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea.
The unanimous position of the ROK and the Netherlands on the Indo-Pacific issue is undoubtedly a gesture of goodwill to the United States and a provocation to China. In response to the joint statement of South Korea and the Netherlands, Chinese spokesperson Hua Chunying said that "I hope that relevant countries can treat China's development hospitablely, respect China's sovereignty and security interests, and refrain from doing anything that undermines regional peace and stability."
South Korea's China policy has been vacillating, wanting to maintain good economic and trade relations with China and maintaining a close security alliance with the United States. However, this duplicitous approach is hardly pleasing to China, especially when it comes to China's core interests, and China will not tolerate South Korea's betrayal. China has issued two warnings to South Korea to cut off supplies, suspending imports of South Korean plastic and paper scrap and banning South Korean cultural products from entering the Chinese market.
The first cut was on December 1, when the General Administration of Customs of China issued an announcement announcing that it would suspend the import of plastic and paper waste from South Korea from January 1, 2023, due to the serious pollution problem of these wastes in South Korea and not meeting China's environmental protection standards.
This move has put enormous pressure on South Korea's environment, as South Korea exports 1 million tons of plastic and paper waste to China every year, accounting for more than half of South Korea's waste exports. If China no longer accepts it, South Korea will face difficulties in the accumulation and disposal of waste, which will also affect the development of South Korea's circular economy.
The second cut was on December 8, when China's State Administration of Radio and Television issued an announcement announcing that from January 1, 2023, South Korean cultural products such as TV dramas, movies, variety shows, animation, and games would be banned from entering the Chinese market, due to the fact that these South Korean cultural products have serious political tendencies and do not conform to China's core socialist values.
The move dealt a huge blow to South Korea's cultural industry, as China is the largest export market for South Korea's cultural products, bringing in billions of dollars in revenue each year. If China does not introduce it again, South Korea will lose a large audience, which will also affect the expansion of South Korea's cultural influence.
China's two supply cuts have had a serious impact on South Korea's economy and society, and have also triggered the dissatisfaction and expectations of the South Korean people. The South Korean people generally believe that the foreign policy of the Republic of Korea is too dependent on the United States and ignores China's feelings and interests, which has led to the deterioration of relations with China and brought huge losses to South Korea.
The South Korean people hope that they will change their China policy, maintain friendly and cooperative relations with China, respect China's sovereignty and security interests, refrain from participating in US actions to contain China, and refrain from interfering in China's internal affairs on Taiwan, Hong Kong, Xinjiang, and other issues. The South Korean people also hope that they can strengthen economic, trade and cultural exchanges with China, resume the export of waste and cultural products, and promote the economic and social development of South Korea.
South Korea's Yoon Suk-yeol's visit to the Netherlands was considered by the outside world to be a move to help the United States contain China, which triggered China's dissatisfaction and warnings. China's two cuts off supplies to South Korea have exposed South Korea's economic and cultural fragility, and have also provoked unease and anger among the South Korean people.
South Korea faces a difficult choice between continuing to cater to the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy or maintaining friendly and cooperative relations with China. This choice will affect South Korea's future development and international status, as well as the well-being and happiness of the Korean people. It is hoped that South Korea will make the right choice wisely, not to let South Korea become a victim of the United States to contain China, and not to let South Korea's friendship with China be undermined.