[The Epoch Times, June 30, 2022](Comprehensive report by Wu Huanxin, reporter from the Epoch Times Special Department) The annoyed CCP has been issuing strong protests and threats in recent days regarding South Korea’s attendance at the NATO summit. In response, the South Korean Prime Minister responded by saying that he agreed with the US statement that “the CCP has no veto power over this.”
South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo had a dinner with the South Korean press corps at Prime Minister Sejong’s residence on June 28, and answered the question “How to carry out diplomacy with China when the CCP opposes President Yoon Sek-yue’s attendance at the NATO summit”: The new South Korean government’s position on the CCP is very clear. South Korea and China should develop in the direction of “mutual benefit and mutual respect”.
He said that many people are worried that the CCP will take economic retaliation against South Korea because of dissatisfaction, but South Korea is pursuing values that the world respects and principles that should be followed. If the CCP is dissatisfied with this and takes economically unfavorable actions, then it should Saying “This is improper behavior”.
“It’s not okay to break a more important principle in order to salvage (bad for our economy),” he stressed.
He believes that there is no possibility (of the CCP’s economic retaliation against South Korea) because the division of labor between China and South Korea is very mature. Although South Korea relies on China for 25% of its exports, South Korea does not believe that these export items will be hit by CCP dissatisfaction.
In addition, when a reporter asked, “Even if South Korea suffers retaliation as it was for deploying the THAAD system, will it still abide by the diplomatic principles we have?” Han Dezhu replied affirmatively: “Of course!”
Regarding the CCP’s opposition to South Korea’s participation in the NATO summit led by the United States, John Kirby, the strategic communications coordinator of the US National Security Council, said at a press conference on June 23 that the CCP “has no interest in what meetings South Korea participates in and whom it associates with.” There is no veto on this.”
In this regard, Han Dezhu said that he believed that the US response was “right”.
“If South Korea’s security needs it, then do it. It is unethical for China (the CCP) not to do it. This is not in line with the principle of mutual respect,” he stressed. ◇
Responsible editor: Lian Shuhua#