Yoon Seok-yeol's 'People's Livelihood Together', Xi Jinping's 'National Welfare' Opposition, US-Japan-ROK System, North Korea-Russia Alliance 'End'
At the Korea-China summit, President Yoon Seok-yeol spoke of “promoting the livelihoods of both countries,” while President Xi Jinping opposed it, saying that it would be “welfare for the people of both countries” at the national level and “dialogue between the parties involved” between the South and the North. Then, the trilateral security system between Korea, the US, and Japan appears to be ending as a North Korea-Russia alliance that has left the “region.”
In Peru, where the APEC summit is being held, President Yoon told President Xi, "In particular, I hope that South Korea and China will cooperate to promote stability and peace in the region in response to North Korea's repeated provocations, the war in Ukraine, and Russia-North Korea military cooperation," defining Russia-North Korea relations as 'regional', while President Xi stated, "I hope that the parties concerned will peacefully resolve the issue through dialogue and negotiation to find a political solution," and prioritized 'particular dialogue between the South and the North'.
President Yoon stated in his opening remarks at the summit on the 15th, “I hope to further strengthen economic cooperation, which has been the central axis of bilateral relations for the past 30 years, and to jointly improve the livelihoods of both countries,” and revealed his approach from “jointly improving the livelihoods of both countries” to “bilateral political and economic communities.”
On the other hand, Chairman Xi Jinping stated in his opening remarks, “By deepening exchanges and cooperation and promoting healthy and stable development of the China-ROK strategic cooperative partnership, we should bring welfare to the people of both countries and contribute more to regional peace, stability, development, and prosperity,” and added, “I will work with President Yoon to play a leading role in this regard,” separating “welfare and economic cooperation” from “separate management of the two countries’ systems” to “welfare for the people of both countries.”
At the summit briefing, Deputy National Security Minister Kim Tae-hyo said, “The two leaders agreed to deepen and develop a strategic cooperative partnership based on mutual respect, good-neighborliness, and common interests,” and “Amid intensifying geopolitical competition between countries and regions, the two countries agreed to join forces in terms of security to ease conflicts, seek peaceful resolutions, and contribute to peace and prosperity in the region.”
A senior U.S. official told the New York Times that the 40-minute closed-door summit between South Korea, the U.S., and Japan in Lima, Peru, “Russia-North Korea cooperation issues dominated the discussions among the three leaders.”
In response to North Korea-Russia military cooperation attempting to destroy the security cooperation system among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan and clashing with the Trump administration’s “America First” policy, U.S. officials responded by “establishing a South Korea-U.S.-Japan secretariat,” signaling the end of the trilateral security system in the region.
The New York Times reported that U.S. President Biden simply said on the 15th, “We have now reached a moment of major political change.”
At a press conference on Air Force One to Lima on the 14th, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said about the trilateral system, “Establishing a secretariat to make close cooperation between officials a continuing feature of U.S. policy in the Indo-Pacific going forward,” and announced it as a preparation for the Trump administration.
President Biden’s Camp David summit last year was a response to North Korea’s increasing aggression in the Asia-Pacific region, and North Korea created a system of “withdrawal from the Asia-Pacific region” through its attempt at military cooperation with Russia.
The “America First” policy of the Trump administration heralded a major change in the trilateral security structure of South Korea, the U.S., and Japan based on the Biden administration’s “Indo-Pacific” regional security.
The gist of the remarks by the two leaders as relayed by Vice Minister Kim is as follows.
Regarding the Korean Peninsula issue, President Yoon said, “North Korea’s continued military provocations such as ICBMs and military cooperation with Russia are actions that cause instability on the Korean Peninsula and in the region,” and requested that “China play a constructive role.”
In response, Xi Jinping said, “China also hopes for an easing of tensions in the region and does not want tensions on the Korean Peninsula,” and “We hope that the parties concerned will peacefully resolve the issue through dialogue and negotiations to find a political solution,” thereby opposing President Yoon’s “North Korea causing instability in the region” and Xi Jinping’s “North and South parties will resolve the issue through dialogue and negotiations.”
At the China-Japan summit, Xi Jinping said in his first meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba that day that “China hopes that Japan will ‘properly handle’ major issues such as history and Taiwan,” Reuters reported.
Xi then urged the Japanese prime minister to “protect the global free trade system and stable and unimpeded production and supply chains between the two Asian neighbors,” and Ishiba said that he wanted to build a “constructive and stable” relationship, demanding that Xi “withdraw the ban on imports of Japanese aquatic products,” “strengthen safety measures for Japanese people in China,” and expressed concerns about “China’s maritime activities.”
Reuters released the specific summit demands, saying, “According to the Japanese document, Prime Minister Ishiba asked Xi Jinping to release Japanese detainees in China.”
Reuters continued, “In recent months, Chinese and Japanese officials have made moves to resume several rounds of advisory talks for the first time in years, suggesting that relations between the two countries may be stabilizing.”
“China and Japan have been at odds in recent years over issues including territorial claims, trade tensions and Beijing’s anger over Tokyo’s decision to dump treated water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean.”