A senior Chinese diplomat has conveyed firm opposition to South Korea’s ambassador to China about “erroneous” remarks made by the latter’s president about Taiwan, which equated it with the Korean Peninsula issue.
Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong said such comments are “totally unacceptable” and urged South Korea to “prudently” handle matters related to the Taiwan question, according to a foreign ministry statement published Sunday.
The reaction came after South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol referred to Taiwan as a global issue “like the issue of North Korea” and “not simply an issue between China and Taiwan” in an interview with Reuters last week.
Sun responded saying the two questions are “completely different in nature, cause and history” and “not comparable at all,” explaining that North Korea and South Korea are both sovereign countries with United Nations membership. The People’s Republic of China was recognized by the U.N. as the only legitimate representative of China in 1971.
Sun stated that the root cause of the tensions in the Taiwan Strait is secessionist activities by “pro-independence” enthusiasts, rebutting Yoon’s comments in the interview in which he attributed the increased tensions to attempts to change the status quo by force.
China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin reiterated that the “one-China” principle is the political foundation of China-South Korea relations, during a regular media briefing Friday.
South Korea’s top envoy to China Chung Jae-ho said Seoul’s position to respect the “one-China” principle has not changed, according to Chinese foreign ministry.
Earlier this month, China carried out military exercises around the island of Taiwan and imposed sanctions against individuals and organizations involved in separatist activities in response to Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen’s meeting with U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy during a stopover visit in California.
Yoon embarked on a six-day state visit to the United States on Monday, during which he will meet with U.S. President Joe Biden.
Contact reporter Kelly Wang (jingzhewang@caixin.com) and editor Leila Hashemi (leilahashemi@caixin.com)
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