Politician · country

Park Geun Hye on China

Diplomatic pragmatist (strong) Position evolved

TL;DR

Park Geun Hye pursued an enriched strategic cooperative partnership with China while balancing relations with the United States and managing North Korea.

Key Points

She conducted a state visit to China from June 27-30, 2013, where she and the Chinese president agreed to reinforce the strategic cooperative partnership.
In February 2016, she held telephone talks with the Chinese president, agreeing to deepen cooperation and manage each other's major concerns, while discussing the Korean Peninsula's denuclearization.
Park attended the 70th anniversary military parade in Beijing in September 2015, which was a rare attendance for the head of a major US ally.

Summary

Park Geun Hye's approach to China during her presidency emphasized strengthening the "strategic cooperative partnership" that had been established previously, viewing China as the second most important nation in South Korea's foreign policy after the United States. Her administration sought to deepen practical cooperation, especially in economics, highlighted by the official signing of the China-ROK Free Trade Agreement and exploring connections between her Eurasian Cooperation Initiative and China's Belt and Road strategy. A key early objective was securing China's support for her 'Trust-building Process' on the Korean Peninsula.

Her stance, however, showed pragmatism and required careful navigation between Beijing and Washington, a balancing act often termed a strategic dilemma. While she sought closer ties, evident in her June 2013 visit to Beijing which was framed as a 'trip of heart and trust,' the relationship contained underlying tensions, particularly concerning security and military cooperation, which lagged behind economic ties. Her attendance at China’s 2015 World War Two military parade marked a high point, yet later diplomatic coordination was strained by North Korea's provocations, leading to a policy of needing to approach China more rationally and systematically, rather than emotionally.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was Park Geun Hye's main focus in her China policy?

Park Geun Hye's main focus was to establish a 'New Model of the Korea-China Relationship' building upon the 'Strategic Cooperative Partnership.' This involved securing China's support for her Korean Peninsula Trust-building Process and deepening practical cooperation, especially economically.

How did Park Geun Hye balance relations with China and the US?

The former president viewed the concurrent growth of ROK-China and ROK-US relations as necessary but challenging. She maintained a close alliance with the US while actively engaging China, though this created a strategic dilemma that required careful management.

Did Park Geun Hye's relationship with China change over time?

Yes, the relationship evolved through stages, initially focusing on building trust regarding North Korea, then on a mutual trust-building process, and finally aiming for a new model of relations. However, domestic political scandal ultimately led to a breakdown and ended her term.