North Korea’s Rocket Launch Frays Ties Between South Korea and China
BEIJING — When China’s leader, Xi Jinping, visited America’s firm allySouth Korea in 2014, it seemed to be the beginning of a promising courtship.
His host, President Park Geun-hye, returned the favor by coming to Beijing last year for an important military parade that other American allies boycotted, a gesture that Mr. Xi may have believed could lead to weaning her away from Washington.
For her part, Ms. Park hoped that her new friend in Beijing — South Korea’s No. 1 economic partner — would tamp down the relentless pursuit of nuclear weapons by the leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-un.
But the prospect of a friendly new era between China and South Korea seemed to collapse this week. After North Korea, China’s treaty ally,launched a rocket, apparently to test ballistic missile technology, South Korea embraced what China had been trying to prevent: an American antimissile defense system that will be deployed on China’s doorstep.
China now appears angrier at the South Koreans than at the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, who ignored its advice against the rocket launch.Photo
President Xi Jinping of China and President Park Geun-hye of South Korea at the presidential house in Seoul in 2014. CreditPool photo by Ahn Young-Joon
Ms. Park’s government said it was entering talks with the Obama administration regarding the deployment of the American system, and the Pentagon said the installation, paid for by the United States, would take place as quickly as possible.
South Korea acted after China’s response to the North’s recent nuclear tests turned out to be more tepid than Ms. Park had expected after nearly two years of Mr. Xi’s wooing, South Korean analysts say.
The system, known as Thaad, for Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense, would offer South Korea, and the nearly 30,000 American soldiers stationed there, superior protection against the North’s growing nuclear challenge than Seoul’s current inadequate missile defenses, those analysts say.
“President Park was very disappointed and upset with Xi’s inaction and silence against North Korea when she desperately needed Xi’s help,” said Kim Heung-kyu, director of the China Policy Institute at Ajou University in Suwon, South Korea. Mr. Xi was then embarrassed domestically by Ms. Park’s rush to accept the American defense system, Mr. Kim said.
“Xi Jinping’s efforts to enlist President Park as a friend have not gone as well as he hoped,” he said, “and she was certainly disappointed in his efforts to control Kim Jong-un.”
After the rocket launch on Sunday, China expressed “regrets” and argued vigorously at the United Nations against sweeping new sanctions.
In contrast, China said it was “deeply concerned” about South Korea’s decision to allow the deployment of the missile defense system. It warned that “every country must not undermine the security interest of other countries while pursuing its own security interests,” clearly implying thatthe missile system was aimed at solidifying Washington’s network of alliances in Northeast Asia rather than offering protection against North Korea.
His host, President Park Geun-hye, returned the favor by coming to Beijing last year for an important military parade that other American allies boycotted, a gesture that Mr. Xi may have believed could lead to weaning her away from Washington.
For her part, Ms. Park hoped that her new friend in Beijing — South Korea’s No. 1 economic partner — would tamp down the relentless pursuit of nuclear weapons by the leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-un.
But the prospect of a friendly new era between China and South Korea seemed to collapse this week. After North Korea, China’s treaty ally,launched a rocket, apparently to test ballistic missile technology, South Korea embraced what China had been trying to prevent: an American antimissile defense system that will be deployed on China’s doorstep.
China now appears angrier at the South Koreans than at the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, who ignored its advice against the rocket launch.Photo
President Xi Jinping of China and President Park Geun-hye of South Korea at the presidential house in Seoul in 2014. CreditPool photo by Ahn Young-Joon
Ms. Park’s government said it was entering talks with the Obama administration regarding the deployment of the American system, and the Pentagon said the installation, paid for by the United States, would take place as quickly as possible.
South Korea acted after China’s response to the North’s recent nuclear tests turned out to be more tepid than Ms. Park had expected after nearly two years of Mr. Xi’s wooing, South Korean analysts say.
The system, known as Thaad, for Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense, would offer South Korea, and the nearly 30,000 American soldiers stationed there, superior protection against the North’s growing nuclear challenge than Seoul’s current inadequate missile defenses, those analysts say.
“President Park was very disappointed and upset with Xi’s inaction and silence against North Korea when she desperately needed Xi’s help,” said Kim Heung-kyu, director of the China Policy Institute at Ajou University in Suwon, South Korea. Mr. Xi was then embarrassed domestically by Ms. Park’s rush to accept the American defense system, Mr. Kim said.
“Xi Jinping’s efforts to enlist President Park as a friend have not gone as well as he hoped,” he said, “and she was certainly disappointed in his efforts to control Kim Jong-un.”
After the rocket launch on Sunday, China expressed “regrets” and argued vigorously at the United Nations against sweeping new sanctions.
In contrast, China said it was “deeply concerned” about South Korea’s decision to allow the deployment of the missile defense system. It warned that “every country must not undermine the security interest of other countries while pursuing its own security interests,” clearly implying thatthe missile system was aimed at solidifying Washington’s network of alliances in Northeast Asia rather than offering protection against North Korea.
