[Editorial] S. Korea’s role in a balanced foreign policy

Posted on : 2008-05-27 13:33 KST Modified on : 2008-05-27 13:33 KST

President Lee Myung-bak goes to China for a summit meeting with Chinese leader Hu Jintao today. It is part of his plan to get the framework for relations with the “four powers” (the United States, Russia, Japan and China) up and running early in his government.

According to Blue House officials, the two countries plan to agree on elevating bilateral relations to a “strategic partnership.” The official explanation is that a strategic partnership with China means that Seoul and Beijing are going to cooperate closely on peninsular, regional and global issues. If so, that means that relations are rising to a level of “global management” that excludes only military affairs. There is no reason this in itself should be considered something negative. The question, though, is whether that can be harmonized with the “strategic alliance” Seoul and Washington have declared. At a time when it would be hard for the national interests of the United States and China to always be in agreement, tilting excessively to one side would mean cooperation with the other could easily hurt the cooperation. If there is going to be a higher-level of relations with China, see, there needs to be a sustained desire to achieve balance in diplomacy. Countries like China and Russia suspect that since Lee’s inauguration, Korea is leaning towards the old triangular Cold War-style alliance starring Korea, Japan and the United States. This summit meeting needs to be a time for washing away those concerns.

Since Seoul and Beijing established diplomatic relations sixteen years ago, the scale of trade between the two countries has grown to more than trade between Korea and the United States and Korea and Japan combined. Based on this, there needs to be more exchange of people and technology and agreement on ways to improve the trade qualitatively. It is essential that we have better cooperation in the areas of energy, the environment and food safety. There is no reason to hurry with a free trade agreement with China. Before pursuing that, the government first needs to show the people a policy that covers trade as a whole, and to win their agreement on how to move forward.

It is very regrettable that one hears suggestions that Lee might ask the Chinese to play the role of messenger for improving inter-Korean relations. The relationship between China and North Korea does have a long history, but the responsibility for improving relations between North and South lies with the governments of North and South. It is a diplomatic failure to begin just by asking for Chinese cooperation in order to achieve Lee’s North Korea policy goals. There is no way China will give all its support to the policies of the South Korean government when it comes to inter-Korean relations. The South will always have a limited foreign policy effect on the four powers unless inter-Korean relations improve. We hope that on the occasion of his visit to China, Lee realizes how our own initiative is more important in relations with North Korea than what the government can get through relations with the four powers.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]

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