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Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Qiu Guohong speaks to the National Assembly on Nov. 28. (Yonhap News)

Qiu Guohong, Chinese ambassador to South Korea, reportedly said during a lecture at the National Assembly on Nov. 28 that “If the US deploys strategic weapons aimed at China in South Korean territory, you can imagine what the consequences will be.” Qiu was apparently responding to a lawmaker in attendance who said that the US was likely to ask South Korea to host intermediate-range missiles, now that the US has withdrawn from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty). It’s extremely grating for a diplomatic envoy to make such menacing remarks in the country hosting him, and it’s doubtful whether he ought to have made those remarks at all.

It’s understandable that China is wary of the possibility of the US seeking to deploy intermediate-range missiles in Northeast Asia and to aim them at China following its abrogation of the INF Treaty. China has already declared on several occasions its strong opposition to the idea of US missiles being deployed in Asia. But for the Chinese ambassador to South Korea to openly browbeat National Assembly lawmakers by talking about “consequences” — or, in other words, retaliatory measures — is a different matter altogether. Furthermore, an American missile deployment is a matter to be dealt with in the future, a matter that the US hasn’t even specifically discussed with South Korea.

Since the THAAD missile defense system was deployed with US Forces Korea (USFK) in 2017, China has been imposing a range of punitive economic measures on South Korea. When Qiu said that South Koreans “can imagine what the consequences will be,” he was doubtless referring to such nasty retaliatory measures.

Qiu also said he “believes the South Korean government has enough political wisdom to take appropriate action.” What will the South Korean people think about a foreign diplomat first threatening and then cajoling his host country? No matter how important a country’s security concerns may be, there are diplomatic norms to be followed, and lines that must not be crossed, when communicating those concerns to its neighbors and seeking their understanding.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is planning to visit South Korea on Dec. 4, his first visit since the THAAD deployment. That visit likely represents China’s desire to clear up the THAAD dispute and improve bilateral relations. We hope that the Chinese will bear in mind that Qiu’s heavy-handed remarks are entirely unhelpful for improving its relations with South Korea at such a time.

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