Seoul: Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul emphasized on Wednesday that South Korea's engagement with China aligns with U.S. interests in multiple aspects, amidst growing strategic competition between the two global powers. The minister's comments came during his congratulatory speech at the Asan Plenum, a security forum organized by the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul, as the Donald Trump administration intensifies its competitive stance against China, including the imposition of significant tariffs.
According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korea continues to maintain high-profile relations with both the United States and China, balancing a military alliance with Washington while fostering its most significant trade relationship with Beijing. Cho stated, "It is no secret that countries in the region don't want to be in a position of having to choose between Washington and China," highlighting South Korea's stance in the matter.
He further noted that no nation desires the U.S.-China strategic competition to evolve into a "zero-sum game," and emphasized that in numerous ways, South Korea's engagement with China aligns with U.S. interests. The minister reiterated that South Korea prioritizes its foreign policy based on a robust alliance with the U.S., a stance that China does not challenge.
In discussions with China, South Korea aims to engage in candid dialogue and express differing opinions openly on contentious issues, such as those involving the South China Sea and the Yellow Sea. Additionally, Cho addressed the importance of preventing setbacks in the progression of South Korea-Japan relations, urging both nations to reflect on past missteps.
He suggested that the path to a better future involves altering one's own perception and attitude, thereby encouraging reciprocal changes from the other party. Meanwhile, Japanese envoy to South Korea, Koichi Mizushima, in his separate address during the forum, underscored the growing significance of South Korea-Japan cooperation, in light of increasing international security uncertainties in the region, as South Korea prepares for its presidential election in June.