Diplomats and scholars from China and South Korea gathered in Beijing to attend commemorative sessions to mark the 25th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries. They touched upon a number of political and economic issues.
South Korea's ambassador for public diplomacy, Park En-na hailed the achievements of the two countries. She said, for 25 years, everyone was surprised to see the dynamics and development of bilateral relationship...from politics, economy, culture and people-to-people exchange. So, the development of the partnership is very much unprecedented.
It's a moment of celebration, but former South Korean ambassador, Shin Jung-seung expressed his worry about the current state of the relations. He said that bilateral relations have been strained as a result of the deployment of the THAAD missile defense system. Dialogues between the leaders of the two countries aren't quite as cheerful as it used to be. It has also affected trade and investment.
The controversial THAAD anti-ballistic missile defense system has marred the bilateral ties of China and South Korea. The strained relation was in focus among the participating guests here. However, the 25 years of diplomatic relations have generated huge benefits for both sides on the economic front. Their bilateral trade volume increased by more than 30 times in that period of time.
Participants agreed that although there have been many upheavals, however, China-South Korea relations have never suffered a damage. And this bond can only help them consolidate their trust and resolve their differences going forward.
