China News Agency, Seoul, February 8 (Reporter Liu Xu) On the 8th local time, the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in South Korea stated its position on the issue of Chinese Korean costumes at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics.

  The spokesperson said that we have noticed that recently South Korean public opinion has paid attention to the fact that Chinese Korean representatives wore national costumes to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics, and some media have speculated and criticized China for engaging in "cultural engineering" and "cultural plunder."

Chinese netizens, especially the Korean people, are very dissatisfied with this.

Some Korean media are also asking about our embassy's position.

  The spokesman said that as we all know, China is a multi-ethnic country composed of 56 ethnic groups.

The Chinese government always respects and protects the customs and legitimate rights and interests of all ethnic groups.

It is not only their wish but also their right for representatives of all ethnic groups in China to wear national costumes to attend the Beijing Winter Olympics, an international sports event and a major national event.

The Korean people in China and the north and south of the Korean peninsula share the same ancestry and the same traditional culture, including clothing.

These traditional cultures belong to both the peninsula and the Korean ethnic group in China. The so-called "cultural engineering" and "cultural plunder" are completely untenable.

China respects the historical and cultural traditions of the ROK, and hopes that the ROK will also respect the feelings of the people of all ethnic groups in China, including the Koreans.

  The spokesperson emphasized that China and South Korea, as friendly neighbors and active promoters of the international Olympic cause, maintain close exchanges and cooperation in the field of sports.

During the preparations for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics and the Beijing Winter Olympics, the two sides have always supported and supported each other, fully embodying the friendly cooperative relationship between the two countries and the "more united" Olympic family style, and contributing to the continuous development of bilateral relations.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and South Korea and the "China-South Korea Cultural Exchange Year". It is hoped that both sides will make joint efforts to deepen cooperation in various fields, promote friendly feelings between the two peoples, and push bilateral relations to a new level.

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