Posted on 11/30/2010 7:00:10 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster
Chinese in Series of Diplomatic Gaffes in Seoul
A Chinese delegation led by Dai Bingguo, the Chinese state councilor in charge of foreign affairs who visited South Korea on Nov. 27 and met with President Lee Myung-bak to discuss North Korea's attack on Yeonpyeong Island, has become the talk of the town among diplomats in Seoul. A diplomatic source in Seoul on Monday said the Chinese suddenly notified the South Korean Foreign Ministry at 3 p.m. on Nov. 27 that a delegation led by Dai will leave in 15 minutes and hopes to land at Seoul Airport.
The airport in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, is an air force base, and is used for non-military purposes only when heads of state visit the country.
As soon as the delegation arrived, they asked the Foreign Ministry to arrange an audience with Lee the same day, without clearly stating the purpose of the meeting. One source said, "It is against diplomatic protocol to request a meeting with a head of state in such a manner."
China also asked for the meeting with Lee to be confidential. "But then Dai and his delegation brought five reporters and TV cameraman when they turned up at Cheong Wa Dae," another source said, "so Cheong Wa Dae urgently called the South Korean media in." China initially wanted Dai's visit to remain confidential, but Seoul refused, saying the request is inappropriate in this situation.
Dai reportedly gave a tedious hour-long talk on the history of relations between South Korea and China, which offended Lee. Then when Dai called for resumption of six-party nuclear talks, Lee did not say a word. One diplomat said, "After the meeting, Dai out of blue requested a one-on-one meeting with Lee, and said something to Lee while they talked for a moment. Perhaps he was informing Lee of an 'important announcement' China had announced before delivering it later that afternoon, but until that time no mention was made of it. Simply put, the Chinese delegation committed a series of incomprehensible blunders from start to finish."
Some expert observed that N. Korea wants to set up the classic cold-war confrontation: N. Korea-China-Russia vs S. Korea-U.S.-Japan. A series of grave provocations would force China much closer to N. Korea, in reaction to closer relationshipe between S. Korea and Japan. The Cheonan sinking appears to have moved things in that direction. I am sure N. Korea would hope it will move China again closer to them. China is allowing N. Korea to drag itself around.
At times it is difficult to tell who is whose buffer. N. Korea is China's or the other way around?
P!
Hmmmm....seems to me that the PRC can do whatever it pleases with respect to diplomatic niceties and the DPRK. The North Koreans had better learn this fast or else, they're done...
Uh the story obviously is the private message for South Korea. Looks to me it was the SK’s who made that difficult to deliver. The media are idiots.
” It appears to be true that China’s reactions are hurriedly made up and executed in a sloppy manner. Things probably developed in the way they did not want. “
I’m, admittedly, not well-versed in the nuances of the region, - or diplomatic nuance, in general - but this report seems to describe ‘imperious and high-handed’, more than ‘hurried and sloppy’.....
Appears noooobody wants anything to do with N.Korea.
A complete ‘loose-cannon’, that is a bankrupt country, with absolutely nothing that anybody wants.
The Chinese can’t seem to control them.
The S.Korean don’t want to attack or defeat them (or else they would immediately ‘purchase’ a bankrupt society into their infrastructure).
The USA doesn’t know whether they’re ‘in’ or ‘out’ in this game. Wants to show the world they are a ‘player’, but hold no cards at the table.
It seems to me that these were not blunders.
It was China putting N.Korea in it’s place.
If China chose, N.Korea would disappear in about a day.
That would solve that illegal immigrant problem the Chinese have with N.Koreans crossing the border.
IMHO, secretly China and South Korea are working behind the scenes to figure out the solution to the North Korea Problem.
I just thought that such an attitude is the result of ineptitude. He poured gasoline on widespread anger among S. Korean population. If Chinese deliberately did this, they show flaws in their judgment, which can work to our advantage.
Marmot Hole blog’s take on the Chinese diplomatic gaffe:
Dai Bingguo rude during Korea visit: report
http://www.rjkoehler.com/
I wonder how much these latest Wiki leaks are driving the Chinese on the Norks? It looks pretty clear from what little I have seen that the Chinese have been quite nervous about the Norks for a long time, despite the poker face their diplomats wear at the UN and elsewhere.
China appears to have lost a great deal of face on the world stage because their real concerns about the North have been shown to be just as valid as the rest of the World. The Chinese would never publicly refer to a client State as “a spoilt child” but that apparently is how the Chinese have felt about the Norks for quite some time.
It may well be that we have Chinese support for toppling the regime, the Chinese know they have a problem on their hands and might well go along with helping to topple Kim and install a more reasonable Government in the North. I’ve even heard it speculated that China may create a much smaller “North Korea” and leave much of the Korean peninsula to the South, effectively reuniting the two Koreas and restoring much of their lost face.
Very complex situation and still so volatile that things could explode again at any minute; but maybe the Chinese are not the willing enablers of the Norks like we thought they were.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend...
China’s very large economic ties to the ROK are at risk with these NORK provocations. We may be at the point where the risk to these ties outweigh the risks associated with a NORK collapse.
That is possible. Such a scenario has been around. It is one of the better-case scenarios. Not that it would sit well with S. Koreans. In such a scenario, smaller "N. Korea" would slowly break down and be absorbed by ROK in time: China's face-saving out of Korean Peninsula
” If Chinese deliberately did this, they show flaws in their judgment, “
The ‘flaw in their judgement’ may be that they think they have such a powerful position that they don’t *need* to be ‘nice’.....
Which begs the question - is that judgment really all that ‘flawed’??
Sounds like Hillary Clinton is running the Red Chinese Foreign Ministry as well.
Over a last decade or so, due to the euphoria(= irrational exuberance) brought by rapid economic growth, they are in their own bubble: both economically and politically.
I have always thought that this would bring down Chicom in time. We see its manifestation now.
Such an attitude is not new. Japan in late 80's and U.S. in early 00' showed the same symptom, if you want to take two prominent exmaples in recent history. This kind of Chinese attitude is a blessing in disguise from our point of view.
It's not at all incomprehensible. I'm willing to bet real money that the Chinese planned it out that way.
Note that the Chinese controlled the agenda from start to finish. The South Koreans had to step and fetch for them at every turn. At a moment's notice they pulled the president of Korea away from his very busy agenda, and then they monopolized a couple of hours of his time, and they made him dance to they the tune of their "confidential/not confidential" waltz.
This was China letting it be known in no uncertain terms that they set the terms of debate in South Korea and elsewhere.
It was a power play, pure and simple, and it very effectively got the message across.
Not at all -- you'll note that the South Koreans spent all day dancing to China's tune.
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