National Security Adviser Cho Tae-yong said Wednesday there should not be any actions that go against the development of South Korea-China ties, apparently referring to the controversial remarks of Beijing’s top envoy to Seoul.

Cho made the remark to reporters when asked about Chinese Ambassador Xing Haiming’s recent comments that those who “bet on China’s loss” in its rivalry with the United States “will definitely regret it.” The ambassador’s remark was interpreted as a warning to Seoul against aligning itself with Washington.

“When it comes to South Korea-China relations, it is the Yoon Suk Yeol government’s unchanging position that we should develop the relationship between South Korea and China in a healthy manner, placing the two core keywords of mutual respect and common interests at the center,” Cho said at Gimpo International Airport in western Seoul before departing for Tokyo to attend trilateral talks with his U.S. and Japanese counterparts.

“In that regard, I believe there shouldn’t be any actions that are unhelpful to and go against the healthy development of South Korea-China relations,” he said.

Cho declined to elaborate further, saying he does not think it is befitting of South Korea’s dignity and national status to “say this or that” about the Chinese ambassador.

He left open the possibility of a South Korea-China-Japan summit later this year, however, saying it is Seoul’s turn to chair the meeting and that the government has conveyed its wish to host the summit to both countries.

“The Republic of Korea maintains the unwavering and resolute position that it wishes for a healthy development of relations between South Korea and China, and will also develop the consultation body among South Korea, China and Japan,” Cho said, referring to South Korea by its formal name. “I hope China and Japan will respond to our request as chair so that it can be held sometime this year.”

The trilateral summit has been held a total of eight times, including the last meeting held in Chengdu, China, in December 2019. The summits have not been held since due to a deterioration of South Korea-Japan ties and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cho will be in Tokyo on Wednesday and Thursday for bilateral and trilateral talks with U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Japan’s National Security Secretariat Secretary General Takeo Akiba.

Cho said trilateral cooperation is more important than ever at a time when North Korea is expected to continue its provocations and the international political situation is growing more complex.

The subject of the Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG), which President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden agreed to establish during their April summit, will be discussed during his bilateral meeting with Sullivan, he said.

When asked about the possibility of Japan’s inclusion in the NCG, Cho said South Korea is open to trilateral consultations on extended deterrence “at a policy level,” but that it should not be confused with the NCG established between Seoul and Washington to respond to North Korea’s provocations.

The NCG’s objective is to bolster the U.S. “extended deterrence” commitment to defending South Korea with all of its military capabilities, including nuclear weapons.

Source: Yonhap News Agency