China's Foreign Minister Urges South Korea to Stay Neutral

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi met South Korea’s National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac in Seoul and urged the country not to take sides between Beijing and Washington, calling for a focus on the root causes of the Korean Peninsula’s tensions. U.S. President Donald Trump announced a meeting with North Korea’s Kim Jong-un and criticized U.S. policy, while South Korea responded to North Korean missile launches by maintaining full military readiness. China also urged the acceleration of the second phase of the Korea-China free-trade agreement and highlighted the restoration of bilateral ties.

China’s Diplomatic Proposal

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi met South Korea’s National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac in Seoul and urged the country not to take sides between Beijing and Washington, calling for a focus on the root causes of the Korean Peninsula’s tensions. Wang said, "South Korea should achieve genuine strategic autonomy, refrain from bloc confrontation, and develop relations with major powers, including China and the United States, in parallel and without contradiction." He also emphasized that "South Korea should maintain a friendly policy toward China and support the full restoration of bilateral ties."

U.S. and Korean Tensions

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he plans to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un later this year and stated that North Korea possesses 57 "very powerful" nuclear weapons. Trump ordered Pentagon officials to shorten joint military exercises with South Korea, citing his "very good relationship" with Kim. South Korea condemned the launch of more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles by North Korea, ordered its military to maintain full readiness during ongoing joint exercises with the U.S., and called for a phased, pragmatic approach to North Korea’s denuclearization beginning with a halt to its nuclear program.

Future Direction of Bilateral Relations

Wang urged South Korea to adhere to a friendly policy toward China and to accelerate the completion of the second phase of the Korea-China free-trade agreement. He said the two countries should promote regional economic integration amid intensifying fragmentation in the global economy and rising trade protectionism. President Lee Jae-myung told the press that South Korea and China had achieved tangible results toward a "full restoration" of bilateral ties and pledged to support China’s effort in hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen later this year. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun informed Parliament that the ministry was pursuing a summit between Lee and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the APEC summit.