[Soup] Why did China pick Korea? “There are more reasons than reciprocity.”

News summary on the way home from work, evening briefing.

China is also retaliating against the entry of Koreans, so why did they choose Korea as the first target of retaliation?

Publicly, they hold the 'principle of reciprocity', but since we regulate quarantine such as restricting Chinese entry, China also responds with an 'eye for an eye'.

But there are analyzes that say that's not all.

1. Will China easily and strongly retaliate against South Korea?

One of China's leading international relations experts is Shi Yinhong, a professor at the Institute of International Relations at Renmin University.

While providing diplomatic advice to the Chinese government, he has played a role in informing the Western media of China's position. 

In an interview with Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP), Professor Shi Yin-hong analyzed why Korea became the first target of China's retaliation. 

I'm talking about two things, ▲ it would have been easy for Korea to attack, and ▲ it could be because of the visit to Taiwan by Korean lawmakers.    

Regarding the first argument, he pointed out the reason for South Korea's retaliation by saying, "Korea is a neighbor of China, and the Korean economy is highly dependent on China, so it would have been easy to target Koreans."

At the same time, he also mentioned that it is easier to make a decision to retaliate against South Korea than the United States.

Professor Shi said, "China's tolerance varies from country to country. If the opponent is the United States, it will take retaliatory measures if it does something very bad (to China), but South Korea can become a target even if it does just a little."

He also said that "even if (China) retaliates against the West, the intensity will generally be less than that against South Korea."

So, it is said that China retaliates most easily and most strongly against Korea.

This is a general story, and it was pointed out that the direct reason for this retaliatory measure could be the visit of a Korean lawmaker to Taiwan. 

2. Because of a visit to Taiwan by a member of the Korean National Assembly?

At the end of last year, National Assembly Vice Speaker Jung Woo-taek, People’s Power Cho Gyeong-tae and Lee Dal-gon, and Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Won-wook visited Taiwan and met with President Tsai Ing-wen and Legislative Yuan Yeo Shi-kun (Chairman of the National Assembly). belatedly known.

The Chinese embassy in Korea issued a statement saying, "We express strong protest."

"It seriously violates the one-China principle and the spirit of the China-ROK Joint Statement and is contrary to the development of friendly relations between China and South Korea."

Paragraph 3 of the Joint Statement on Korea-China Amity states, "The government of the Republic of Korea recognizes the government of the People's Republic of China as the only legitimate government of China and respects China's position that there is only one China and Taiwan is part of China."

It is said that Chinese Ambassador to Korea Xing Haiming also conveyed his intention to protest to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Assembly.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs conveyed to China its position that it maintains the principle of 'one China', but Congressman Cho Kyung-tae, who visited Taiwan as the head of the Korea-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Association, harshly criticized China's protest.

Rep. Cho responded by posting on social media, "China's behavior is not the behavior of a normal country. It is an impossibility of interference in internal affairs" and "Stop the arrogant attitude toward Korean parliamentary diplomacy."

Congressman Cho's opposition seems to have touched China's planting again, and the reason China is outraged is that it has damaged the 'one China' principle.

China regards Taiwan as a part of Chinese territory that must be restored, and undermining the 'one China' principle is considered to be touching China's evil.

This can be seen when you consider that tensions in the Taiwan Strait have increased significantly since US House Speaker Pelosi visited Taiwan in August of last year.

3. "Insulting Korean Quarantine"...

Because of internal dissatisfaction in China?

It can be seen that China's internal dissatisfaction with Korea also had an impact, and it is said that there are many articles on Chinese social media that criticize Korea's quarantine.

When Chinese people arrive at Incheon Airport, they have to put up a yellow sign, but Chinese netizens are protesting that they are 'treating criminals' and 'insulting'.

There are also revealing articles that say there are no beds and no hot water in the quarantine facility even though they paid for it.

While the facts have not been confirmed, dissatisfaction with Korea's quarantine is mounting, and Chinese state media are reporting it and even writing editorials.

The Global Times, affiliated with the People's Daily, the official Communist Party newspaper, published an editorial titled 'Korea should rationally explain the exposure of Chinese tourists'. criticized.

State-run media are emphasizing that China's actions are justified while conveying the dissatisfaction of the Chinese people.

As a result, it is said that the atmosphere of antipathy spreads.

4. Isn't the 'principle of reciprocity' everything?

The Chinese Embassy in Korea announced yesterday (10th) that it would suspend the issuance of short-term visas for Koreans, explaining that it was a corresponding measure to 'Korea's discriminatory entry restrictions against China'. I did. 

As for the reason why China made South Korea its first target of retaliation, what China is ostensibly putting forward is the 'reciprocity principle'.

It is the logic that China is also responding because Korea has quarantine regulations such as restricting Chinese entry.

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