People's Republic of China-South Korea relations
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| People's Republic of China | South Korea |
People's Republic of China-Republic of Korea relations refers to the international relations between the People's Republic of China and South Korea. Formal diplomatic relations between Beijing and Seoul were established on August 24, 1992.
Throughout the Cold War, there were no official relations between the communist China and capitalist South Korea. China maintained close relations with North Korea, and South Korea maintained diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (Taiwan). This hindered trade between Seoul and Beijing, because South Korea was unable to protect its citizens and business interests in China without some form of international agreements. Beijing's economic needs involving South Korea were initially eclipsed by those of Moscow. However, because of secondary economic needs and geographic proximity, South Korea and China began active trade nonetheless.
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[edit] Relations under Park and Chun (1961-1988)
Junta leader Park Chung Hee initiated and General Chun Doo Hwan advanced a policy of establishing relations with China and the Soviet Union, and attempting to improve those with North Korea. China and the USSR had significant sway in determing the future of the Korean Peninsula. Good relations with old allies of North Korea were therefore integral to the Nordpolitik policy.
Seoul's official contact with Beijing started by the landing of a hijacked Chinese civilian airliner in May 1983. China sent a delegation of thirty-three officials to Seoul to negotiate its return. This marked the beginning of a series of casual exchanges of citizens. For example, in March 1984, a South Korean tennis team visited Kunming for a Davis Cup match with a Chinese team. In April 1984, a thirty-four-member Chinese basketball team arrived in Seoul to participate in the Eighth Asian Junior Basketball Championships. Some Chinese officials reportedly paid quiet visits to South Korea to inspect its industries, while South Korean officials visited China to attend a range of international conferences. Since China and South Korea began indirect trade in 1975, the trade volume has steadily increased.
[edit] Late 1980s
Active South Korean-Chinese individual contacts have been encouraged. Academics, journalists, and particularly families divided between South Korea and China were able to exchange visits freely in the late 1980s. Nearly 2 million ethnic Koreans, especially in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in China's Jilin Province, have interacted with South Koreans.
However, significant barriers to strong trade and relations persisted. The absence of any protections granted by official relations had still remained. Beijing has been politically closer to P'yongyang, and relations with North Korea remained tense and distrustful.
It had been difficult for analysts to predict what effect a political turmoil in the People's Republic of China would have on Sino-Korean relations. After the military putdown of demonstrators in Tiananmen Square, Beijing, in June 1989, Pyongyang predictably came out in support of Beijing's actions. Seoul, on the other hand, did not condone or condemn the actions in Tiananmen Square.
[edit] Present
Trade between the two countries continued to increase nonetheless. Furthermore, China has attempted to mediate between North Korea and the United States and between North Korea and Japan and also initiated and promoted tripartite talks--among Pyongyang, Seoul, and Washington.
South Korea had long been an ally of the Republic of China. Diplomatic ties between Seoul and Taipei were nevertheless severed in 1992. Formal diplomatic relations were established between Seoul and Beijing on August 24, 1992.
After the KORUS FTA agreement was finalized, the Chinese government has immediately begun seeking an FTA agreement with South Korea.[citation needed] The FTA between Korea and China are under discussion.
[edit] Historical issues
Koreans have been much more hostile towards Chinese[1] because of historical claims surrounding Goguryeo and its related kingdoms. The PRC government has recently begun the Northeast Project, to research and learn more about Goguryeo and other kingdoms. The PRC government has also stated that Goguryeo and Balhae are also a part of Chinese history since they were geographically situated in current day China. This claim has brought much outcry from Korea and China's actions are seen as aggressiveness towards Korean history.
The claims over ancient kingdoms, and the recent shipping accident in the Yellow Sea involving missing Korean sailors, have weakened friendly relations with China.[citation needed]
[edit] Japan
The antecedent of the South Korea government received the support of China. Korea fought against Japan with China in World War II.
Both the governments of the China and South Korea take a firm stand on issues in relation to Japanese war crimes. Korea had been under Japanese rule after the collapse of the Joseon Dynasty in 1910. During the Second Sino-Japanese War, Japan invaded and occupied eastern China.
During World War II, the Imperial Japanese Army carried out many war crimes against both Chinese and Koreans (comfort women, Nanking Massacre etc.). This has caused both China and South Korea to oppose the Japanese government's current stand on war crimes committed in World War II. Issues where both the Chinese and South Korean governments stand together include the controversial visits of Japanese politicians to the Yasukuni Shrine, the Japanese history textbook controversies, and comfort women.
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