Subtle temperature difference ahead of Trump’s second term
North Korea-Russia military cooperation is “a matter to be resolved by the parties involved”
Chinese President Xi Jinping requested President Yoon Seok-yeol to visit China at the Korea-China summit on the 15th (local time). Previously, former President Moon Jae-in visited China twice during his term, but President Xi did not visit Korea. Accordingly, it is President Xi’s turn to visit Korea, but this time he has asked our leader to visit China first. When President Xi met with Prime Minister Han Deok-soo in September last year, he said, “We will seriously consider the issue of visiting Korea.” As U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has announced a strong strategy to contain China, some analysts believe that President Xi may have sent an indirect warning message to Korea not to join this trend.
The leaders of the two countries, who are visiting Lima, Peru to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, sat face to face for the first time in two years. At the meeting, President Xi first asked President Yoon to visit China, and then President Yoon also suggested that President Xi visit Korea. The two leaders did not give an immediate reply, but only said ‘thank you’. A senior official in the Presidential Office met with reporters and said, “(President Yoon) naturally asked President Xi to visit Korea, especially since we will be hosting the APEC Gyeongju meeting around the fall of next year.”
At the meeting that day, President Yoon also targeted military cooperation between North Korea and Russia and asked “China to play a constructive role.” However, President Xi responded, “I hope that the parties will resolve the issue peacefully through dialogue and negotiation.”
In his speech at the APEC session on the 16th (local time), President Xi said, “I hope that countries around the world can board the express train of China’s development and achieve mutual prosperity.”
尹 “North Korea-Russia military cooperation should respond together” 習 “Free trade must be jointly protected”
[APEC 정상회의]
Meeting after 2 years, temperature difference in appeasement gesture… China responds immediately to criticism of China’s role in sending troops to North Korea
Focus only on checking Trump’s protectionism… There is also a demand for
“I hope that South Korea and China will cooperate in promoting stability and peace in the region in response to North Korea-Russia military cooperation.” (President Yoon Seok-yeol)
President Yoon and President Xi said this when they met at a hotel in Lima, Peru, where the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit was held on the 15th (local time). President Yoon focused on responding to North Korea-Russia military cooperation, which has increased due to North Korea’s deployment of troops to Russia, and asked China to play a role in blocking this. On the other hand, President Xi showed a slight difference in temperature by putting the ‘original intention of establishing diplomatic relations’ first. China has often used this expression to mean exclusion of U.S. interference in commerce. It is interpreted as an intention not to participate in the ‘China isolation strategy’, which is expected to be implemented in earnest during the second term of Donald Trump’s administration.
● China’s announcement excludes North Korea-Russia military cooperation.
In China’s announcement after the summit that day, President Yoon’s mention of illegal military cooperation between North Korea and Russia was omitted. Instead, China mentioned things like, “Korea is willing to work closely with China to communicate and cooperate in multilateral mechanisms such as APEC and jointly safeguard multilateralism and free trade.” The emphasis was on targeting the protectionism that U.S. President-elect Trump is expected to implement after taking office.
At the APEC session on the 16th, President Xi also emphasized, “Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region is at a historical crossroads where it is challenged by unilateralism and protectionism.” As if to keep President-elect Trump in check, he also quoted a phrase from the Analects of Confucius, ‘Giyoklibiriripin, Giyokdaldalin (己欲立而立人 己欲達而達人)’, which means ‘If you want to prosper yourself, you must first make others prosper’.
The leaders of Korea and China also revealed differences in temperature over the issue of President Xi’s visit to Korea at this summit. President Xi first requested that President Yoon visit China, and President Yoon asked President Xi to visit Korea. President Xi’s last visit to Korea was in 2014 at the invitation of former President Park Geun-hye. Afterwards, he did not visit Korea for 10 years due to the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) issue and the strained relations between Korea and China due to the Korean War.
President Xi said he would review the issue of Prime Minister Han Deok-soo’s visit to Korea in September last year when he visited China to attend the opening ceremony of the Hangzhou Asian Games. However, by mentioning our leader’s visit to China again, there are interpretations both inside and outside our government that President Xi’s position regarding his visit to Korea has actually regressed somewhat. A government source said, “This can be interpreted as meaning that he will decide to visit Korea after seeing how Korea will respond to President-elect Trump’s strategy of isolating China.”
According to China’s official Xinhua News Agency, President Xi said, ”I hope that Korea will take more convenient measures for Chinese nationals to visit Korea,” and reportedly requested that we take measures equivalent to the visa exemption that China had previously implemented. However, a high-ranking official in the Presidential Office expressed his disapproval, saying, “There are some areas where it is a bit difficult to take the same measures in proportion, both in terms of the number of Korean and Chinese travelers and the purpose of their visit.”
On this day, President Yoon asked President Xi to take good care of Korean companies operating in China to ensure that they can conduct business activities in a predictable and stable environment. The two leaders also decided to accelerate service and investment negotiations to mark the 10th anniversary of the Korea-China Free Trade Agreement (FTA) taking effect next year. The Korea-China FTA went into effect in December 2015 after negotiations in the product sector were concluded, but the second stage of negotiations was delayed due to the Korean War.
● Leaders of Korea, U.S. and Japan: “North Korea’s troop dispatch violates UN Security Council resolutions”
During the APEC summit, President Yoon also held a Korea-U.S.-Japan summit and a summit with U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and condemned illegal military cooperation between North Korea and Russia. The leaders of the three countries said in a joint statement, “We strongly condemn North Korea and Russia’s violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions, especially in a situation where North Korea has decided to send troops to Russia to participate in the Ukraine war,” adding, “We strongly condemn North Korea and Russia’s violation of numerous UN Security Council resolutions.” “The deepening of Russia-North Korea military cooperation, including the transfer of ballistic missiles, is especially serious considering Russia’s status as a permanent member of the UN Security Council,” he pointed out.
At the 10-minute ‘farewell’ summit with President Biden that day, President Yoon said, “Most of the diplomatic and security achievements that I am proud of during the first half of my term were achieved together with President Biden.” President Biden also responded, “Even if new leadership emerges, I will support President Yoon and the ROK-US relationship and help behind the scenes.”
What are the implications of North Korea’s military cooperation with Russia for regional security?
Ter on November 15, 2023. The leaders condemned the illegal military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, including North Korea’s troop dispatch to Russia, highlighting the need for collective security and adherence to UN Security Council resolutions.
During this summit, President Yoon emphasized the importance of cooperation between South Korea, the U.S., and Japan in response to the escalating threats posed by North Korea’s military activities. The trio discussed strategies aimed at reinforcing regional security and stabilizing the situation on the Korean Peninsula through a united front.
The discussions in Lima signify a notable moment in diplomatic relations within the region, as President Yoon also engaged with President Xi of China later during the APEC summit. Although the two leaders’ talks were marked by differences—particularly regarding North Korea’s military alliances—there were mutual acknowledgments of the need for dialogue and a careful approach to fostering peace and stability in Northeast Asia.
President Xi’s response to Yoon’s concerns about military cooperation between North Korea and Russia was characterized more by a call for dialogue than by a promise of action, indicating China’s cautious stance. Xi’s emphasis on promoting trade and mutual economic interests highlighted the fundamental priorities that both nations share, despite their historical and geopolitical tensions.
The exchanges between Yoon and Xi, as well as the collaborative talks with U.S. and Japanese leaders, illustrate the complex interplay of diplomacy in the region, shaped sharply by the rising tide of militarization in North Korea and shifting dynamics with global powers, including the implications of potential policies under a possible Trump administration.
Looking ahead, the diplomatic activities in the wake of these meetings will likely map the future trajectories of South Korea-China relations, North Korea’s military strategies, and the broader implications for regional stability amidst the evolving international context.