[Editorial] Four principles from Moon-Xi summit are deeply significant

Posted on : 2017-12-15 16:09 KST Modified on : 2017-12-15 16:09 KST
South Korean President Moon Jae-in shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping prior to their summit at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Dec. 14. (Yonhap News)
South Korean President Moon Jae-in shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping prior to their summit at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Dec. 14. (Yonhap News)

In their Dec. 14 summit in Beijing, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping reached an agreement on four principles for peace and security on the Korean Peninsula. The four principles agreed upon by the two leaders as helpful in resolving issues on the peninsula include the unacceptability of war, a firm commitment to the Peninsula’s denuclearization, peaceful resolution of the North Korean issue through dialogue and negotiation, and improved inter-Korean relations.

With tensions on the Korean Peninsula higher than ever before, this agreement on four principles of peace and stability is deeply significant. Not only are the terms they agreed to eminently sensible, but they also represent areas where the two sides’ interests perfectly coincide. The fact that they reached the agreement at a time when the situation on the peninsula is so precarious – with North Korea’s recent nuclear and missile tests leading to discussion of a possible “military option” - may prove effective in reminding the international community of the paramount importance of a peaceful resolution to issues there. To Pyongyang, it sends the message that the peninsula must be denuclearization and urges improvements in its ties with Seoul.

The summit is also encouraging as a sign of recovery in South Korea-China relations, which had deteriorated due to the dispute over the THAAD missile defense system. The two sides still differ in their positions on THAAD. But in his introductory remarks at the summit, Xi alluded to the issue only indirectly – saying relations had “undergone regression for reasons everyone is aware of” – while refraining from provoking Seoul by specifically mentioning THAAD or the “three nos” (no additional THAAD deployments, no participation in US-led missile defense, and no three-way military alliance with the US and Japan).

Moon also drew a message of gratitude from Xi for his good-faith display on the first day of his China visit, sending South Korean Ambassador to China Noh Young-min to attend an event commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Nanjing Massacre. These signs of mutual consideration and patience from the two leaders could be seen as the first step in restoring ties.

South Korea and China now both face the task of addressing the North Korean nuclear issue and relaxing tensions on the peninsula to promote peace in Northeast Asia. It’s important for both sides to expand on the shared goal of a “peaceful revolution” as agreed upon at the summit, while also acknowledging strategic differences in their approach to resolving peninsula issues. More than ever, they need to respect each other’s differences while working to find common interests, and to consider the situation from the other side’s perspective. In that sense, it’s best for them to avoid provoking each other by making too much of minor issues.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of diplomatic ties being established between Seoul and Beijing. Hopefully, this summit will be an occasion for healing the conflict and making a fresh start. We also look forward to Xi honoring Moon’s request to help cement this friendship by visiting the Pyeongchang Olympics next February.

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]

button that move to original korean article (클릭시 원문으로 이동하는 버튼)

Most viewed articles