 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| . |  |
. |
 By Jung Ha-Won Seoul (AFP) April 22, 2017
Buffeted by the currents of diplomacy, South Korea is sometimes described as a "shrimp between two whales", and US president Donald Trump has touched nerves with remarks that the peninsula "used to be part of China". The comments came after Trump hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping at his Mar-a-Lago retreat in Florida. As the pair discussed ways to curb North Korea's nuclear ambitions amid mounting tensions, Trump told the Wall Street Journal, Xi "went into the history of China and Korea. "And you know, you're talking about thousands of years... and many wars. And Korea actually used to be a part of China," Trump went on. Beijing is Pyongyang's sole major ally and Washington wants it to do more about the North's nuclear and missile programmes, while the US has a security alliance with Seoul and stations more than 28,000 troops in South to defend it. The exact details of what Xi said and whether Trump accurately represented him are not known, but South Koreans are wary of Chinese expansionism, and politicians, historians and citizens have been outraged. The Korean peninsula has been heavily influenced by China politically and culturally for centuries. But while its ruling kingdoms sometimes paid tribute to their giant neighbour, South Korean historians stress they did not come under its territorial control, despite repeated invasions. Seoul's foreign ministry spokesman countered: "The fact that Korea was not part of China for thousands of years... is a clear historical fact acknowledged by the international community." - 'Dumbfounded' - Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang declined to confirm the details of Xi's wording, saying that: "The Korean people should not be worried about it." But Seoul's major JoongAng Ilbo daily said South Koreans had been "dumbfounded" by the Chinese leader. "If Trump really conveyed Xi's words correctly, it is nothing but a grave challenge to the identity of the Korean people," it said. South Korean historians and activists rallied outside the Chinese embassy on Friday to protest against Xi's "absurd remarks", Yonhap news agency reported. Seoul and Beijing are at loggerheads over the deployment of the US missile defence system THAAD to the South to guard against threats from the North, infuriating China, which sees it as weakening its own capabilities. Beijing has imposed a series of moves including a ban on group tours to the South and suspensions of South Korean businesses in China, which are seen by Seoul as economic retaliation. South Korea's top-selling Chosun newspaper turned on both leaders, castigating Xi for his "premodern expansionist view" and Trump for a lack of awareness of diplomatic sensitivities. "The fact that Trump publicly disclosed such a remark (by Xi) demonstrates that he is completely ignorant about the history of the Korean peninsula," it said in an editorial Friday. - Relations 'at their lowest' - The row came after South Koreans were dismayed by the revelation that the US aircraft carrier Carl Vinson and a supporting battle group were still thousands of kilometres (miles) from the peninsula, despite the White House saying it was dispatching them to the area as tensions mounted with the North. Trump had described the vessels as an "armada" and "very powerful" and the revelation drew jeers and disappointment. "What Mr Trump said was very important for the national security of South Korea," conservative South Korean presidential candidate Hong Joon-Pyo told the Wall Street Journal. "If that was a lie, then during Trump's term, South Korea will not trust whatever Trump says." The series of missteps demonstrate lack of communications within Trump's nascent administration, said Bong Young-Shik, analyst at the Yonsei University's Institute for North Korean Studies. "Trump is an outsider inexperienced with how Washington works... and the coordination among his White House, the State Department and the Pentagon seems to be poor for now," he told AFP. Relations between Seoul and Beijing are "at their lowest for years", said Bong, and Trump's description of Xi's remark was likely to worsen them further, "whether he intended to or not". Fears of potential Korean conflict have mounted in recent weeks with Pyongyang showing no sign of any willingness to abandon its nuclear and missile programmes, and the US saying that military action was an "option on the table". The North has vast amounts of artillery deployed within striking range of Seoul, putting the South Korean capital at risk of devastation in even a conventional conflict. The carrier controversy illustrated Trump's "unpredictable behaviour" that could lead to "disastrous events", the Kyunghyang daily said. "We are worried whether the Trump administration... can properly handle a crisis on the Korean peninsula," it added. "The South Korean government should brace itself against the 'Trump Risk'."
New actor Trump heightens N. Korea drama: analystsSeoul (AFP) April 21, 2017 Geopolitical tensions flare every spring on the Korean peninsula, but analysts say the anxiety of recent weeks has been magnified by the unpredictable new player in the annual drama: Donald Trump. North Korea always intensifies its rhetoric when Seoul and Washington stage annual large-scale joint military drills that it condemns as rehearsals for a potential invasion. But this time threa ... read more Related Links Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com Learn about missile defense at SpaceWar.com All about missiles at SpaceWar.com Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
|
|||||||||||||
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us. |
del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
Google
