Global Courant
Article content
BEIJING (AP) — A Chinese official filed a complaint with the South Korean ambassador to China, in a tit-for-tat action after Beijing’s envoy to South Korea was summoned last week over his comments accusing Seoul of accused of tending to the United States.
Article content
Assistant Foreign Minister Nong Rong expressed dismay at Seoul’s response to last week’s meeting between Chinese ambassador Xing Haiming and a South Korean opposition leader, according to a statement released by China’s foreign ministry on Sunday.
Nong said it was Xing’s duty to meet with different people in South Korea and he hoped Seoul would reflect on the relationship between the two countries and work with China to promote healthy and stable ties, the statement said.
The diplomatic spat between China and South Korea stems from a fierce competition between Washington and Beijing for global influence.
South Korea, whose economy relies heavily on the export of computer memory chips and other technological products, is struggling to balance the United States, its decades-long military ally, with China, its largest buyer of its goods.
Article content
On Friday, South Korean First Deputy Foreign Minister Chang Ho-jin Xing warned of his “meaningless and provocative” remarks during a meeting with South Korean Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, a major rival of the conservative president Yoon Suk Yeo.
At last week’s rally, Xing accused Yoon’s government of leaning excessively on Seoul’s treaty ally, the US, and damaging its relations with China.
Xing said South Korea was entirely responsible for the “many difficulties” in bilateral relations, citing the growing trade deficit with China, which he attributed to “de-Chinaization” efforts, apparently referring to actions by South Korean companies to shift their supply chains away from China.
His comments quickly angered Seoul, which accused Xing of violating diplomatic protocols and interfering in South Korean domestic politics.
China complains tit after piece to the South Korean ambassador
America Region News ,Next Big Thing in Public Knowledg
