China warns against external interference in ties with South Korea
Seoul can’t go against White House policy, particularly when it comes to Beijing, the South Korean president says
“The China-South Korea relationship is based on mutual interests, is not targeted at a third party, and should not be interfered with,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said.
The statement followed South Korean President Lee Jae-myung’s assessment that Seoul had to rebalance its relationship with Beijing as US-China competition intensified.
At a forum hosted by the Washington-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies on Monday, Lee said that as supply chains changed, South Korea could no longer maintain the logic of relying on the US for security and cooperating with China on the economy.
“At this point, we cannot act or make decisions that go against America’s basic policy stance,” he said.