Moon Jae-in irresponsibly declared that he has no intentions of deploying nuclear weapons in South Korea. He said that such a move could “lead to a nuclear arms race in northeast Asia.” Never mind that there already is a nuclear race in East Asia and that it was initiated by North Korea. By siding with Xi Jinping’s Four Principles, Moon Jae-in further undermined South Korea’s sovereignty and ability to defend itself.
Lee also confirms something I've long said on this blog, even back as far as the blog's inception in 2003: China will always, always be a harsher mistress to South Korea than the United States ever will. Until South Korea gets that fact through its thick head, it can count on suffering yet more abuse at the hands of both China and North Korea.
China also clearly does not take South Korea itself seriously. Not only did China refuse to issue a joint press statement with Moon Jae-in - had Moon Jae-in had any self-respect, he would have shelved his decision to visit China on that basis alone - Moon Jae-in did not even get to have a meal with Xi Jinping. In fact, the President of the Republic of Korea - the person who at least according to the South Korean Constitution represents the entire Korean peninsula - had to eat in a common restaurant.
Ceremony is important in politics. It is even more important in East Asia where saving face is a vital part of politics. The insufficient level of protocol shown by the Chinese was deliberate and its intentions were as clear as day.
Furthermore, no Chinese official has offered any apology when Chinese security officials assaulted Korean journalists. Those journalists who were assaulted were members of the official press corps that was accompanying Moon Jae-in.
Thus far, all that the Chinese have done is to start an investigation.
If that doesn’t show how China views South Korea, then I don’t know what does.
Korea has been China's bitch for centuries. Moon doesn't have the balls to stand up for himself, let alone his country...
ReplyDeleteIndeed—vassal state and all that. You'd think that a people might learn from centuries of history, but no.
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