China’s irritation at the cemented alliance

The greater the pressure China exerts, the stronger the counterattack could be.

PARK SEONG-HUNThe author is a Beijing correspondent of the JoongAng Ilbo. China’s anxiety over the leaders of South Korea and the U.S. shouting for an “ironclad alliance” has erupted with harsh rhetoric. Relations between South Korea and China, which have been relatively quiet since the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (Thaad) crisis, are likely to fall into turbulence again.

Hu Xijin, former editor-in-chief of the Global Times, criticized President Yoon Suk Yeol in a column titled “It will be hard to go against the tide.” Hu described Yoon as “the most unfriendly Korean president to China since the establishment of diplomatic relations and one of the actual instigators encouraging anti-China sentiment in Korean society.”

Hu even claimed that Yoon is “a small person” who lacks morality and acts like a strategic sleepwalker. He went on to say that China must reprimand such politicians and must not pardon them. He attacked Yoon for turning South Korea into a “strategic hostage” of the United States. The tone is unprecedentedly radical.

Hu — the most notable figure representing China’s “wolf warrior” media — has 24.7 million followers on social media and has been leading the public opinion toward the direction of the authorities. The line — “China must maintain its strategic decision and not dance with the Yoon administration” — suggests China’s counterattacks soon.

In response to China’s attitude, the Yoon administration is determined to say what it has to say. After the Chinese Foreign Ministry said China will not allow Yoon to intervene in the Taiwan issue, the Yoon administration responded, “We will not allow rude remarks.” After the Chinese media criticized Yoon for “kneeling to Japan” in his summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, the Korean government got angry and said, “The arrogance has gone too far.”

In addition to the rebuttal, when China got upset over Yoon’s remarks that “changing the status quo by force cannot be allowed,” the Korean Foreign Ministry appropriately responded by saying, “Our position of respecting the One China principle remains unchanged.” China only left the impression of losing diplomatic courtesy by getting excited over Yoon’s comment, which applies to all countries. The Chinese Foreign Ministry also warned South Korea not to take a dangerous path over the Taiwan issue.

China’s response to the Korea-U.S. semiconductor cooperation is also excessive. “Korean companies will suffer if they follow America’s order,” Beijing said. The demand of the U.S. is that Samsung Electronics and SK hynix should not make up China’s chip shortage from Micron sanctions. In that case, China can suffer direct damage from decreased imports.

It is not clear how China will respond after the Korea-U.S. summit. But there are various means China can use to pressure South Korea, such as the North Korean issue and sanctions on South Korean exporters. The greater the pressure China exerts, the stronger the counterattack could be.