South Korea is making a strong push to strengthen its ties with China following the recent reshuffle that saw Wang Yi regain his position as the country’s foreign minister. Experts believe that this move could lead to an improvement in relations between the two neighboring countries.
Qin Gang, the former foreign minister, was abruptly removed from his position after serving for less than a year. Wang Yi, who previously held the role for almost a decade, is expected to take on both the position of foreign minister and foreign policy chief for the Chinese Communist Party.
Many experts predict that Wang will maintain China’s current foreign policy stance, which aims to restore balance in its relationship with the United States while also managing ties with other countries. Wang has already expressed his agreement with South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin on the need to expand cooperation across various areas, including security and civilian exchanges.
China appears to be actively pursuing closer ties not only with South Korea but also with Japan. Wang has proposed restarting the regular three-way talks that involve Beijing, Tokyo, and Seoul. South Korea, as the host of the next round of talks, is eager to revive this dialogue, which has been on hold since 2019 due to travel restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic and strained relations between Seoul and Tokyo.
The timing of these talks is significant, as they could take place before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in November, where Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to meet with US President Joe Biden. South Korea is seeking to strengthen its relationships with both the US and Japan, and these three-way talks could help facilitate cooperation on various fronts.
However, it is important to note that South Korea still needs to resolve some fundamental differences with China. Disagreements over issues like Korea’s position on the US-led chip alliance and Taiwan, a democratic island that the US supports, continue to strain relations. Unless these differences are addressed, it may be challenging for South Korea and China to achieve a lasting thaw in their relationship.
In conclusion, South Korea is optimistic about the reshuffle in China’s leadership and sees it as an opportunity to strengthen ties with its largest neighbor. While there are still some hurdles to overcome, such as fundamental differences on certain issues, the willingness shown by China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, to engage in dialogue and propose joint initiatives has raised hopes for improved relations. Both countries are actively seeking to foster friendlier ties, which could have significant implications for regional dynamics and cooperation.
