ID :
148424
Tue, 11/02/2010 - 13:03
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/148424
The shortlink copeid
Lawmakers demand countermeasures for Chinese leader's war remark
SEOUL, Nov. 2 (Yonhap) -- Lawmakers urged the government Tuesday to consider
steps to counter China, which is increasingly flexing its muscles, as they
accused a top Chinese leader of slighting South Korea with his remark about the
Korean War and called for an apology from Beijing.
Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping, who has been tapped to succeed Hu Jintao as
president, said last week that the 1950-53 conflict, in which China fought
alongside North Korea, was a "just war" against aggression. His comment was seen
as disputing the long-established fact that the war broke out with North Korea's
invasion of the South.
"China has never taken the side with South Korea in the Cheonan incident, and we
need to demand an apology about Vice President Xi Jinping's remark that slighted
and affronted the Republic of Korea," Rep. Yoo Ki-june of the ruling Grand
National Party (GNP) said, referring to March's sinking of a South Korean naval
ship.
A multinational probe found North Korea responsible for the sinking that killed
46 sailors, but China never accepted the findings. Despite repeated appeals from
Seoul, Beijing also tried to soften a U.N. condemnation of the North for the
sinking, citing the need for peace and stability in the region.
"We're at a time when we need to exercise independent diplomacy. As long as
China's power-based diplomacy continues, we need to strengthen diplomacy with
China's neighbors. That would be pragmatic diplomacy," the legislator said.
The ruling party lawmaker also suggested the government consider policy options
to secure diplomatic leverage over China, such as raising the issues of Beijing's
detention of this year's Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo and its crackdown on
the banned spiritual movement Falun Gong.
Another option could be considering issuing a visa to the Tibetan spiritual
leader Dalai Lama, branded by China as a separatist, it said.
Rep. Kim Choong-whan of the GNP also said the government should try to get China
to express regret over Xi's Korean War remark. Rep. Kim Yeong-woo of the ruling
party accused the government of keeping too low a profile in issues related to
China.
Seoul's foreign ministry refuted Xi's remark, saying it is "an internationally recognized, indisputable historical fact" that the North started the war.
Minister Kim Sung-hwan also said later that the North's responsibility is an "unchangeable fact."
But South Korea stopped short of filing an official complaint with Beijing.
South Korea and China established diplomatic relations in 1992. Their economic and trade relations have since made strides, with China overtaking the United States as South Korea's No. 1 trade partner.
But their political relations have failed to match the progress in business ties.
steps to counter China, which is increasingly flexing its muscles, as they
accused a top Chinese leader of slighting South Korea with his remark about the
Korean War and called for an apology from Beijing.
Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping, who has been tapped to succeed Hu Jintao as
president, said last week that the 1950-53 conflict, in which China fought
alongside North Korea, was a "just war" against aggression. His comment was seen
as disputing the long-established fact that the war broke out with North Korea's
invasion of the South.
"China has never taken the side with South Korea in the Cheonan incident, and we
need to demand an apology about Vice President Xi Jinping's remark that slighted
and affronted the Republic of Korea," Rep. Yoo Ki-june of the ruling Grand
National Party (GNP) said, referring to March's sinking of a South Korean naval
ship.
A multinational probe found North Korea responsible for the sinking that killed
46 sailors, but China never accepted the findings. Despite repeated appeals from
Seoul, Beijing also tried to soften a U.N. condemnation of the North for the
sinking, citing the need for peace and stability in the region.
"We're at a time when we need to exercise independent diplomacy. As long as
China's power-based diplomacy continues, we need to strengthen diplomacy with
China's neighbors. That would be pragmatic diplomacy," the legislator said.
The ruling party lawmaker also suggested the government consider policy options
to secure diplomatic leverage over China, such as raising the issues of Beijing's
detention of this year's Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo and its crackdown on
the banned spiritual movement Falun Gong.
Another option could be considering issuing a visa to the Tibetan spiritual
leader Dalai Lama, branded by China as a separatist, it said.
Rep. Kim Choong-whan of the GNP also said the government should try to get China
to express regret over Xi's Korean War remark. Rep. Kim Yeong-woo of the ruling
party accused the government of keeping too low a profile in issues related to
China.
Seoul's foreign ministry refuted Xi's remark, saying it is "an internationally recognized, indisputable historical fact" that the North started the war.
Minister Kim Sung-hwan also said later that the North's responsibility is an "unchangeable fact."
But South Korea stopped short of filing an official complaint with Beijing.
South Korea and China established diplomatic relations in 1992. Their economic and trade relations have since made strides, with China overtaking the United States as South Korea's No. 1 trade partner.
But their political relations have failed to match the progress in business ties.
