China's failed South Korea embrace Relations between China and South Korea have been quickly descending over the past year.
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South Korea's President Park Geun-Hye is greeted by China's President Xi Jinping in Hangzhou [Getty]South Korea's President Park Geun-Hye is greeted by China's President Xi Jinping in Hangzhou [Getty]
By J Berkshire Miller
@jbmllr
J Berkshire Miller is the director of the Council on International Policy.
Earlier this month, two Chinese fishing vessels rammed and sunk a South Korean Coast Guard ship in response to Seoul's attempt to enforce against illegal fishing off the west coast of the Korean peninsula.
The lost Korean vessel was trying to enforce laws against a quasi-fishing militia of more than 40 Chinese ships. Fortunately, both sides avoided a more harmful clash when reinforcements from the Korean Coast Guard defused the situation and scattered the remaining Chinese vessels after firing in the direction of the boats.
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South Korea has responded to the aggressive move by summoning the Chinese ambassador in Seoul and promising that any future incidents of illegal fishing would be met by armed force.
Meanwhile Beijing has tried to downplay the situation and has urged Seoul, unconvincingly, not to overreact. Tense relationship
This incident, which fortunately did not result in the deaths of any Coast Guard officials, sheds light on the increasingly tense relationship between China and South Korea.
Indeed, relations between China and South Korea have been quickly worsening over the past year, following an initial honeymoon period under the leadership of Xi Jinping and Park Geun-hye respectively.
Initial cracks in the bilateral relationship started to form with China's decision to unilaterally declare an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) in the East China Sea in the fall of 2013.
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Poster Comment:
It is not just South Korea the Chinese are aggravating. The U.S. has been in its sites also. This incident with about 40 fishing vessels in South Korean waters is indicative of Chinese efforts to obtain food for its burgeoning population.