South Korea sees no possibility of China's economic retaliation over its summit deal with US

Lee Ho-seung, President Moon Jae-in's chief of staff for policy (Yonhap)

SEOUL, May 25, Korea Herald/ANN - A top Cheong Wa Dae official dismissed speculation Tuesday that China may launch another round of economic retaliation against South Korea over its latest summit agreement with the United States that touched on a sensitive regional security issue.

Asked about the odds of Beijing's action against Seoul during a radio interview with CBS, a Seoul-based broadcaster, the official said,"I don't think so."

Related speculation, reported by some media outlets, is based on "excessively premature prediction," Lee Ho-seung, President Moon Jae-in's chief of staff for policy, said. "The mood is not like that at all," he added.

Moon and US President Joe Biden discussed the issue of maritime security near China during their summit at the White House last Friday.

They issued a joint statement pledging to "maintain peace and stability, lawful unimpeded commerce, and respect for international law, including freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea and beyond."

They emphasized the importance of "preserving peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait," it read without mentioning China by name.

Some observers have raised concerns that China may take issue with the wording and push for economic retaliation similar to a set of strong measures taken a few years ago in protest against South Korea's decision to get an advanced US missile defense system, called THAAD, deployed on its soil.

Another Cheong Wa Dae official told reporters Monday that South Korea has been in "necessary communication" with China in connection with Moon's visit to the US last week.

The Moon administration has a constant position to develop Seoul's "strategic cooperative partnership" with Beijing in a harmonious way on the basis of a robust alliance with Washington, he said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

The Taiwan Strait issue was included in the document on a "general and principled" level, he added, as it is important to keep stability in the regional security situations, with the special characteristics of the China-Taiwan relations considered. (Yonhap)