Will North, South Korean Diplomats Meet on Sideline of OBOR Summit?
Posted: May 13, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: China, North Korea, OBOR summit, South Korea, THAAD 3 Comments
South Korea’s new President Moon Jae-In speaks during a press conference at the presidential Blue House in Seoul on May 10, 2017. REUTERS/Jung Yeon-Je/Pool
According to Reuters, Beijing has invited and North Korea has accepted China’s invitation to attend One Belt, One Road (OBOR) summit and displeased the US as North Korean is not a country along the Silk Road.
Then, according to Reuters’ report “South Korea to attend China’s Silk Road summit amid diplomatic rift” yesterday, though upset by South Korea’s deployment of THAAD, Chinese President Xi Jinping gave South Korea a last-minute invitation to the OBOR summit. South Korea may be interested in the construction of and investment in OBOR infrastructure projects but will be a competitor to Chinese construction firms that have overcapacity to export. THAAD provides China good excuse not to invite South Korea.
Since the invitation was given after North Korea promised to send a delegation to the summit, there is naturally the speculation that China may arrange a meeting between North and South Korean diplomats on the sideline of the summit.
Comment by Chan Kai Yee on Reuters’ report, full text of which can be viewed at http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-silkroad-southkorea-idUSKBN1880Z9
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The two Koreas are part of China’s strategic neighbourhood. We can’t tell what the future holds, but it’s about time the two Koreas have a meeting. After all they are Korean brothers. This OBOR project will increase infrastructure investments in Nth Korea and may somehow influence trade and prosperity. Like Vietnam, not part of the OBOR initiatives, but China is prepared to develop infrastructures in the country linking to greater investment opportunities. The invitation of Nth Korean delegation is also an opportunity to show China’s dissatisfaction at the Sade offensive. Also, China would have had close discussions with Nth Korea over the months leading to the Nth Korean invitation to the OBOR summit.
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What is this “Sade offensive”?
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Clearly China is reducing the status of South Korea to that on par with North Korea in important because of THAAD. The last minute invite is considered a slap in the face.
South Korea is now seen as much a pariah state to China as North Korea is to America,
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