The government of President Yoon Suk Yeol sees "no need" to sour ties with China, Foreign Minister Park Jin said Sunday, as a Chinese envoy's controversial remarks on South Korea's U.S. policies fueled a diplomatic spat earlier this month.
Park also stressed that Seoul will continue to step up communication with Beijing to boost their friendly ties during an interview with Yonhap News TV.
"The basic stance of the Yoon Suk Yeol government is to advance South Korea-China relations into that of a mature and healthy one based on mutual respect, reciprocity and common interest," he said.
Earlier this month, Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming said those who bet on Beijing's loss in its rivalry with Washington would "definitely regret it," apparently accusing South Korea of aligning with the U.S. and shifting away from China.
Park reiterated his criticism of Xing, saying it was inappropriate behavior as a "diplomat."
When asked about what U.S. officials told South Korea on Secretary of State Antony Blinken's recent visit to China, he emphasized the "key takeaway" is the commitment to "building a stable U.S.-China relationship toward competition and cooperation rather than confrontation or conflict."
"We shared the view that close coordination between South Korea and the U.S. as allies, as well as the constructive role of China, is very important in resolving North Korea's nuclear issue," he said.
During Blinken's rare visit to China last week, he met Chinese President Xi Jinping and agreed to work toward stabilizing their ties so that it "does not veer into conflict."
Following the meeting, a senior U.S. diplomat came to Seoul to brief government officials in person about the outcome of the discussions while Blinken held phone calls with Park to explain his recent trip.
Park also said the ministry is "keeping close tabs" on the escalating tensions in Russia after the Wagner mercenary group, led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, once a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, staged an apparent insurrection on Saturday to topple the Russian military.
Source: Yonhap News Agency