Minister Park Jin's visit to China

The axis of interest, which had been focused on diplomacy with Japan for a while, seems to be shifting to public diplomacy due to the launch of the Public-Private Council for Forced Labor at the beginning of this month and the first Korea-Japan Foreign Ministers' Meeting in 4 years and 7 months.

Amid growing opposition from China to the so-called 'Chip 4 Alliance' and other moves to reorganize its supply chain centered on its allies, Foreign Minister Park Jin has formalized the schedule for his visit to China in August.

Minister Park said, "I met Wang Yi at the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Bali, Indonesia, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi suggested that we hold a foreign ministers' meeting in China in August, and I accepted the offer."

The 24th of next month is also said to be the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Korea and China.

The department in charge has entered into working-level discussions to set a specific date and place.

It is a meeting that took place amid a fierce strategic competition between the United States and China, so it is of great interest how and what agenda will be discussed.

At the brief meeting of the South Korean and Chinese foreign ministers held at the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting earlier this month, both sides were evaluated as having only a search battle without any 'bones'. I'll be there.

Where and what are we discussing?

A foreign ministry official said that given the coronavirus lockdown in China, Minister Park's visit to China will be in a provincial city rather than a large city like Beijing.

Former Minister Chung Eui-yong also had a meeting with South Korean and Chinese foreign ministers in Xiamen, Fujian Province, China in April last year.

In particular, Minister Park Jin emphasized in a video call with Director Wang Yi right after taking office that he had a relationship with Shandong Province, based on his experience as an emeritus professor at Shandong University.

At the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting, mountain climbing was a topic of interest as the two ministers shared a common interest.

Therefore, it is rumored that the authorities are struggling to find a place for a ministerial meeting in Shandong Province, China, and whether there is a small mountain that can be easily climbed nearby.



More important than the place, of course, is the agenda.

It is known that three major agendas will be on the table.

▲ Mutual friendly cooperation ▲ Korean Peninsula issues ▲ Global issues are a big category.

Combining the words of a diplomatic source specializing in China, in the field of friendship and cooperation, it seems that the discussion is mainly about expanding people-to-people exchanges between the two countries through the THAAD retaliation and the number of flights that have been reduced since the corona virus.

The issue of upgrading the 2+2 strategic dialogue between South Korea and China to the vice-ministerial level and restarting the talks, which had not progressed due to the corona virus, is also said to be a major agenda item.

The second issue on the Korean Peninsula is the North Korean nuclear issue.

The government's plan is to emphasize the role of China once again in the current situation where North Korea is foreshadowing its seventh nuclear test and UN Security Council sanctions have been neutralized.

At the Korea-Japan foreign ministers meeting, the head of the North Korean Nuclear Diplomacy Planning Group, who is in charge of the North Korean nuclear issue, was accompanied by the minister.

It can be interpreted as meaning that they will engage in diplomatic warfare with that much effort.



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The most sensitive and difficult issue in this summit is likely to become the third global issue.

This is because issues to which China is sensitive, such as the formation of a new Cold War regime such as the US-China strategic competition and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and the subsequent reorganization of the supply chain centered on allies, are all included in this category.

From the decision to participate in the IPEF, to the NATO summit, and to the present day, as it is contemplating whether to participate in the so-called 'Chip 4', China's response to us seems to be gradually increasing.

In particular, 'Chip 4 (USA, Japan, Korea, Taiwan)', which is a semiconductor supply chain alliance that includes Taiwan, is an issue that is inseparable from the core interests that China has emphasized, 'one China' and 'semiconductor development'. A rough reaction is expected.

According to several media reports, it is known that the US has notified us by next month whether or not to participate in the chip 4.

It seems that a fierce diplomatic battle with the chip 4 in mind will be unfolding at the Korea-China foreign ministers meeting scheduled at the same time.

Recognizing that this is such a sensitive matter, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs official, in a meeting with reporters on the 25th, refrained from mentioning anything related to Chip 4 and kept only the principled answer of "under consideration".

Regarding the related media reports, he said, "It is difficult to see it as a proposal to join, and it is difficult to agree with the report that August is the deadline for reply."

What are our diplomatic strategies and tasks?

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Many experts in common say that popular diplomacy from now on is very important.

It is that the 'diplomatic trick' that we will exert between the US pressure to align with the strategic competition with China and China's reaction against it is important.

In the new Cold War order, where it is difficult to 'walk the tightrope' between the two sides, our new government has already decided to raise the flag of the 'Value Alliance'.

It was an early choice in the direction of strengthening cooperation with allies such as the United States.

Instead of actively riding on the US-centered order, minimizing China's reaction remained the task. It is a common assessment of many experts that it is important to sufficiently explain and persuade.



Kang Joon-young, director of the Center for International and Regional Studies at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, said, "For example, attending the NATO meeting is sufficient to explain the need for South Korea, which is suffering from the North Korean nuclear threat, to explain the dangers of the North Korean nuclear program to several European countries and seek cooperation." “It is a time when diplomatic efforts are needed to inform our cause through continuous explanations at the ministerial meeting,” he said.

Lee Dong-gyu, a research fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, also said in the issue brief <What to do with the new government's policy on the public?

"Even in the case of the expansion of the ROK-U.S. alliance and security cooperation between the U.S. and Japan, we should emphasize that cooperation is 'to counter the North Korean nuclear issue' and demand China's role in resolving the North Korean nuclear issue based on this."

In a difficult situation, it means that you can create a diplomatic space by using the cause as leverage.

Researcher Lee also explained that the diplomatic justification thus built up can serve as a basis for a joint response with the international community when pressure from China arises later.

At the same time, he said, it is necessary to make efforts to increase the contact area between the two countries by actively discovering issues that Korea and China can cooperate with, such as negotiations for the second phase of the Korea-China FTA and environmental issues such as yellow dust and Fukushima contaminated water.



Why is it important to minimize backlash from China?

This is because the impact of China's backlash on the Korean people and the market is still too great.

We are still very reliant on the Chinese market (which accounts for 25% of our total exports and 23% of our imports) and we are also highly dependent on China for key minerals and our supply chain.

We are trying to diversify this, but we need to buy time to make a soft landing.

Kim Heung-gyu, director of the U.S.-China Policy Research Institute at Ajou University, said, "If we apply some kind of 'unofficial trade sanctions' by pretending to be a mistake by delaying customs clearance and disrupting the supply chain for some of the items that we have to rely entirely on imports from China, we will inevitably suffer tremendously." I did.



It is known that our diplomatic authorities have already actively communicated and explained to China through diplomatic channels that are always open.

However, above all else, the importance of this meeting between the two ministers will be of great importance.

Can the diplomats of the new government, Minister Park Jin, create a diplomatic space in Korea-China relations?

Can you show the diplomacy of creating something out of nothing?

What kind of results can Minister Park achieve during his visit to Japan?