FM Cho says S. Korea’s engagement with China aligns with U.S. interests

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul said Wednesday South Korea’s engagement with China aligns with the United States’ interests in many ways, and no country wants to see U.S.-China strategic competition become a “zero-sum game.”

The minister made the remarks in his congratulatory speech at the Asan Plenum, a security forum hosted by the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul, as the Donald Trump administration ramps up competition with China, including through the imposition of hefty tariffs.

South Korea maintains high-profile relations with both countries, upholding a military alliance with Washington while maintaining its largest trade relationship with Beijing.

“It is no secret that countries in the region don’t want to be in a position of having to choose between Washington and China,” Cho said, adding that South Korea is no exception.

“Nor do they want to see U.S.-China strategic competition become a zero-sum game,” he noted, stressing that “in many ways, I believe our engagement with China aligns with U.S. interests.”

The minister said South Korea’s foreign policy priority lies first and foremost in the robust alliance with the U.S., and China does not contest this.

In dealing with China, however, South Korea will seek candid dialogue and openly express differences on issues where the two countries hold divergent views, such as those concerning the South China Sea and the Yellow Sea, he said.

Speaking on ways to prevent a lapse in the momentum of advancing South Korea-Japan relations, the minister said both countries should seriously reflect on what went wrong in the past.

The best way to open up a better future is to change one’s own perception and attitude, encouraging the other side to follow suit, rather than waiting for the other party to change first, he said.

Delivering a separate speech during the forum, Japanese envoy to South Korea Koichi Mizushima stressed the growing importance of South Korea-Japan cooperation, citing increasing international security uncertainties in the region, as Seoul is scheduled to elect a new president in June.