hankyoreh

After signs of strain in the past, the true nature of Seoul-Beijing diplomatic relations have come into stark realization with the passing of Kim Jong-il.
When the announcement of Kim Jong-il's death came, President Lee Myung-bak had emergency calls with the leaders of major powers like the US, Japan, and Russia. Only China was out of reach. It has been reported that Beijing did not reply to repeated South Korean requests for a conversation with President Hu Jintao.
Contact between the South Korean and China foreign ministers was not taken until Monday night. This cannot be seen as indicative of normal diplomatic relations. China is South Korea's biggest trading partner and the chair nation for the six-party talks. More importantly, it can also be described as North Korea's biggest ally as it faces the unpredictable situation in the wake of Kim's death, as well as a guardian nation wielding absolute influence. If we do not have a hotline set up with it and cannot even speak to its leader in an emergency situation, then we have a serious problem.
A lot of the blame for relations with Beijing degenerating to this degree of abnormality falls on Seoul. With its emphasis on strengthening diplomatic relations with the US to the exclusion of others, the Lee Myung-bak administration joined in that country's pressure tactics against China. It would be unreasonable to expect China to be pleased with us for doing so.
The day after the death announcement, Hu paid a visit to a mourning site at the North Korean embassy in Beijing, accompanied by Wu Bangguo, Xi Jinping, and other members of the Chinese leadership. The day after that, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao participated in a joint display of condolences by senior officials, including Jia Qinglin and Li Keqiang. One way to interpret this contrasting situation, with grand expressions of condolences by the Chinese leadership on one hand and chilly treatment of Seoul on the other, is as a message from Beijing that it will not be recognizing the diplomatic independence of Seoul, with its one-sided focus on Washington. As we saw after the Cheonan sinking and in the recent diplomatic war of nerves between Washington and Beijing over Myanmar, the China of today reacts with great sensitivity to the US strategy of fencing it in. If only for our own national interests, South Korea needs to undertake a full reexamination of its diplomatic policies toward China to date.
Of course, China's attitude has also been inappropriate. Stable management of North Korea, which Beijing has set as its top priority, is not something that can be addressed simply through relations with Washington. There can be no talk of stability on the Korean Peninsula that leaves out South Korea, which is one of the countries on it. If Beijing wants peace and stability on the peninsula, it will need to adopt a more flexible approach, one involving dialogue and cooperation with Seoul.

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