Lee Jae-myung's "China's Loss of Sovereignty" and "Joint Response to Peace on the Korean Peninsula" Mistake
President Lee Jae-myung erroneously addressed China's loss of sovereignty in his speech, and misrepresented President Xi Jinping's "non-interventionist" strategy by suggesting a "joint response to peace on the Korean Peninsula." He then held a summit with Ireland first at the Great Hall of the People.
The summit at the Great Hall of the People appears to have been scheduled by China, prioritizing President Lee's visit.
In his opening remarks at the South Korea-China summit, President Lee stated, "As you well know, the roots of the South Korea-China relationship are very deep. For thousands of years, South Korea and China have maintained friendly relations as neighbors. During periods of sovereignty loss, we joined hands and fought together to restore our sovereignty."
President Lee stated at the summit on the 5th, "We will explore feasible alternatives for peace on the Korean Peninsula." He added, "We must ensure that both countries jointly contribute to peace, the fundamental foundation of prosperity and growth."
He made a sharp shift from the "Northeast Asian stability" discussed at the previous South Korea-China summit to "peace on the Korean Peninsula," excluding Taiwan, and requested that China "jointly explore" this.
At the summit, President Xi Jinping stated, "More than 80 years ago, China and South Korea made enormous national sacrifices to win the fight against Japanese militarism." He added, "Today, our two countries must cooperate to safeguard the fruits of victory in World War II and safeguard peace and stability in Northeast Asia." He highlighted the gap between the "war against militarism" and "peace and stability in Northeast Asia."
President Xi continued, "China has always placed relations with South Korea at a crucial level in its diplomacy with neighboring countries and has maintained consistency and stability in its policies toward South Korea." He added, "China is willing to work with South Korea to solidify the direction of friendly cooperation, uphold the principles of mutual benefit and win-win outcomes, and develop the China-South Korea strategic cooperative partnership in a sound direction, effectively promoting the well-being of the two peoples and contributing positively to regional and global peace and development." He emphasized regional peace.
China has condemned the Trump administration's "military interventions" and prioritized a "non-intervention policy" in its foreign policy, routinely criticizing military activities conducted without UN Security Council approval.
At the summit, President Lee opposed China's strong "non-intervention policy" and declared his intention to "intervene for peace on the Korean Peninsula." President Lee, who referred to the "1937 Japanese invasion and occupation of mainland China" as "China's annexation of sovereignty" at the South Korea-China summit, believes that the "1937 Japanese invasion and occupation of major cities" does not constitute a annexation of sovereignty.
He appears to have misinterpreted the anti-Japanese war waged by the Chinese Nationalist and Communist parties, including the occupation of Beijing and Shanghai and the Nanjing Massacre, as well as Japan's defeat.
At the Gyeongju APEC summit in late October last year, President Lee lobbied President Trump for nuclear submarines, stating that they would "help patrol China" and "reduce the burden on US forces." He then contradicted President Xi Jinping in a post-APEC press conference, stating, "The stability of the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia is also beneficial to China."
President Lee's remarks implied that "South Korea's support of US military patrols against China contributes to the stability of the Korean Peninsula in Northeast Asia, which is beneficial to China," strengthening the US-led security system in Northeast Asia. At the closing briefing of APEC, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Kakun commented, "South Korea and the United States should do things that are conducive to regional peace and stability," calling it a "regional peace obligation" by "South Korea and the United States."
Reuters reported on the 5th, "President Lee Jae-myung told Chinese President Xi Jinping on the 5th that this summit is an important opportunity for the full restoration of South Korea-China relations," and "Prime Minister Rio stated in his opening remarks at the summit that he would continue efforts to develop the strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries into an irreversible trend."
Regarding Venezuela, Reuters reported, "Xi Jinping on the 5th urged all countries to abide by international law and UN principles," and "He said major powers should set an example, but did not directly mention the United States or Venezuela."
Reuters went on to say that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi accused the United States of acting as the “arbiter of the world” in arresting Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro to stand trial in New York, and that Beijing will confront Washington at the United Nations over the legality of the move.
The US military’s midnight withdrawal of the leader of one of China’s “all-weather” strategic partners from the capital will be a test of Beijing’s claim that it can play a role in tackling global hotspots without having to toe the Washington military line.
Reuters went on to say that the UN Security Council, with support from China and Russia at the request of Colombia, will discuss the decision to arrest US President Trump, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that the move could set a “dangerous precedent.”
Analysts say that China, the world’s second-largest economy and a major global trading partner, will play a crucial role in drawing criticism of Washington’s actions. Eric Olander, co-founder of the China-Global South Project, said, "While China currently has limited material support for Venezuela, rhetorically, Beijing will be crucial in leading the charge against the United States, alongside the United Nations and other developing countries."
He added, "As we've seen with Western-sanctioned countries like Zimbabwe and Iran, China is demonstrating its commitment to these relationships through trade and investment, even in difficult circumstances."
With President Trump threatening military action against Colombia and Mexico following Maduro's arrest and suggesting the Cuban communist regime "looks ready to collapse," the international focus for Latin American countries that signed on to Xi Jinping's flagship global security initiative, the Belt and Road Initiative, is now shifting to whether the agreement will be put to the test.
President Xi Jinping postponed the South Korea-China summit to the evening and held a summit with Ireland that day, aiming to expand economic and trade cooperation and achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. In his opening remarks at the Great Hall of the People with Prime Minister Michael Martin, Xi Jinping stated, "Mutual respect and win-win outcomes are invaluable experiences for the long-term and stable development of China-Irish relations."
Reuters reported, "President Xi is positioning strengthening bilateral ties with the Irish Prime Minister as a means to strengthen ties with the European Union. Despite the ongoing chill in relations with Brussels, China has shown increasing interest in engaging with EU countries individually and has used bilateral meetings as a means to convey its views on its relationship with the EU."
Xinhua News Agency also reported that Xi said, "China and the EU should focus on a long-term perspective, objectively and rationally resolve differences, and seek win-win cooperation," adding, "I hope Ireland will play a constructive role in the healthy and stable development of China-EU relations."
Xi Jinping's summit appears to be a preferential strategy aimed at Ireland's potential rotational presidency of the EU Council later this year.
See <Wei Song-lak: Pressure on Military Nuclear Weapons in China Summit: 'If Denuclearization Fails, Tensions Will Escalate, Harming China and Russia,' January 2, 2026>
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