China urges South Korea not to take sides, blames US policy for Korea tensions
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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (left) with his South Korean counterpart Cho Hyun during their meeting at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul on Aug 19.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- China urges South Korea to avoid taking sides between Beijing and Washington and calls on the US to end its hostile policy toward North Korea to ease Korean Peninsula tensions.
- China supports peaceful coexistence on the peninsula, encourages dialogue and trust restoration, and highlights recent North Korean missile activity amid ongoing US-North Korea disputes.
- China seeks stronger bilateral ties with South Korea, promotes a friendly policy, and pushes for early completion of second-stage free trade talks to boost regional economic integration.
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BEIJING/SEOUL – Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged South Korea not to take sides between Beijing and Washington, saying the US should abandon its “hostile” policy towards North Korea to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula.
Wang made the remarks during a meeting with South Korea’s National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac in Seoul on Aug 20, the official Xinhua news agency reported, where he also met South Korean President Lee Jae Myung.
“The fundamental solution to the tensions on the Korean peninsula lies in addressing the root causes of the problem and urging the United States to abandon its hostile policy towards North Korea,” Xinhua cited Wang as saying.
China hopes South Korea will “achieve genuine strategic autonomy, refrain from bloc confrontation and taking sides, and develop relations with major powers, including China and the United States, in parallel and without contradiction”, Wang said.
The remarks came after US President Donald Trump said on Aug 19 that he planned to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later in 2026, adding that the Asian nation held 57 “very powerful” nuclear weapons.
Trump had also ordered Pentagon officials to cut short joint military exercises with South Korea, citing his “very good relationship” with Kim.
The US has maintained its official stance, demanding that North Korea denuclearise, which Pyongyang has consistently rejected.
South Korea condemned North Korea’s launch of more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles on Aug 20 and ordered its military to maintain full readiness during ongoing joint exercises with the US.
“China would be glad to see the peninsula move towards peaceful coexistence between South Korea and North Korea,” Wang told Wi, calling for a restart of dialogue and the restoration of trust. He also invited Wi to visit China, according to South Korea’s presidential office.
Wi asked Wang for China’s constructive cooperation in pursuing South Korea’s policy on North Korea, the office said.
The South Korean government is trying to resume dialogue with North Korea as well as calling for a phased, pragmatic approach to North Korea’s denuclearisation, beginning with a halt to its nuclear programme.
‘Fully recovered’ ties
In separate talks with Lee, Wang urged Seoul to adhere to a friendly policy towards China, saying bilateral ties had “fully recovered” and made positive progress in 2026 following meetings between the two countries’ leaders.
“A rational, pragmatic, and positive policy towards China is entirely in line with South Korea’s interests and the trend of the times,” he said.
Wang also called for an early completion of second-stage talks with South Korea for a free trade agreement, saying the two countries should promote regional economic integration amid intensifying fragmentation in the global economy and rising trade protectionism, Xinhua reported.
Lee told Wang that China and South Korea have achieved tangible results towards a “full restoration” of bilateral ties, pledging to support China’s effort in hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen later in 2026, his office said.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun told Parliament that the ministry was pursuing a summit between Lee and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the summit. REUTERS
