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DP lawmakers draw flak for China visits amid diplomatic tiff

Published: 15 Jun. 2023, 16:33 Updated: 15 Jun. 2023, 17:26

Lawmakers of the Democratic Party depart for Beijing from Incheon International Airport on Thursday morning, amid a diplomatic tiff between the two countries over Chinese Ambassador Xing Haiming's controversial remarks last week. [NEWS1]

A group of seven lawmakers of the Democratic Party (DP) began a trip to China on Thursday, despite receiving flak for making a visit amid a diplomatic tiff between the two countries over Chinese Ambassador Xing Haiming's controversial remarks last week.

The conservative People Power Party (PPP) lambasted the timing of a series of DP lawmakers' trips to the country, as this marks the second group of representatives to head to China this week, following Xing's meeting with the party's chairman, Lee Jae-myung on June 8.

During the meeting with Lee, Xing said in a speech in front of the media that those who "bet on China's defeat will surely regret it later," apparently warning Seoul against siding with Washington over Beijing. This remark resulted in the two countries' foreign ministries lodging protests against each other, and the Yoon Suk Yeol presidential office also asked for China to take "appropriate measures" and is awaiting a response.

The group of seven DP lawmakers, including Reps. Kim Byung-joo, Kim Cheol-min and Park Jeung, departed for Beijing on Thursday morning for a five-day trip that will also take them to Tibet to attend an international expo.

Rep. Park, the deputy chief of the delegation, told reporters at the Incheon International Airport before departing for Beijing that Xing's comments were "very inappropriate" but that "all diplomatic exchanges should not be cut off with a single remark."

He said that the DP lawmakers decided to proceed with the schedule, saying "now is the time for more conversations and discussions."

The lawmakers' trip came upon the invitation of the Chinese government to attend the Tibet expo on tourism and culture, and they said the trip was preplanned before the controversy over Xing and DP Chairman Lee's meeting,

On Monday, another group of five DP lawmakers began a five-day trip to Beijing including Reps. Kim Tae-nyeon, Hong Ihk-pyo and Koh Yong-jin, who are members of the party's committee focusing on people's livelihood and the economic crisis.

The DP later confirmed Wednesday that the trip was for the lawmakers to meet with Chinese officials and businesspeople.

PPP chief Kim Gi-hyeon slammed the lawmakers' trips on Thursday. He warned the visits "could go beyond a diplomatic disaster and become a target of criminal punishment," noting that the trip was covered by the Chinese government.

Speaking at a PPP supreme council meeting, Kim said that the seven lawmakers' visit, atop the five already visiting, "can't be anything other than bribery."

Some PPP lawmakers have been calling for China to recall Xing for his remarks seemingly made in an attempt to intervene in domestic policies.

They also criticized the DP for trying to use the meeting between Chairman Lee and Xing for domestic politics, even streaming it on their YouTube channel.

After arriving at Beijing International Airport later that day, DP. Rep. Park told reporters addressing the controversy, "At a time like this, we need more diplomatic activities," noting they plan to "focus on discussing cultural exchanges with China."

Such discussions could include China's regulations on group tours to Korea, long-term visa issuance for businessmen and solving licensing of game services in China, he said.

Park also addressed criticism that the Chinese government was paying for the lawmakers' travel expenses.

He said that they had been invited to China to attend the Tibet expo and acknowledged that "being invited to an event by a country's government means that the country pays for airfare and other expenses," noting that the Korean government also does the same.

The group of seven DP lawmakers will head to Tibet on Friday, where they will attend the expo and meet with local officials before returning to Seoul on Saturday.

This comes as diplomatic priorities appear to be splitting party lines, with the PPP angling for stronger coordination with the United States and Japan, especially in light of rising North Korean nuclear and missile threats, in line with the Yoon administration's foreign policy.

In turn, the DP has been more vociferous in criticizing the PPP and government's overtures to Japan, accusing them of trying to defend Japan's looming plans to release treated radioactive water at the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean.

Japan's planned release of water from Fukushima was one of the issues covered in Lee's dinner meeting with Xing last week. Tokyo claims the radioactive water has been treated and is safe to discharge into the ocean, and Korean experts conducted an inspection of the defunct Fukushima plant last month without coming up with a conclusion.

Regarding the Yoon government's foreign policy direction, DP Chairman Lee said Thursday that "the most worrisome aspect is the fact that relations with China and Russia, which can be said to be key pillars of peace on the Korean Peninsula and regional stability, are rapidly deteriorating."

Lee, speaking at an event held at the Kim Dae-jung Presidential Library and Museum in Seoul, said this runs counter to South Korea's "economic and security interests" and is having "the negative effect of bringing China, Russia and North Korea closer together."

He said that "it is time to once again revive a pragmatic diplomacy centered on national interests," warning against "pushing the Korean Peninsula into the middle of a new Cold War with biased diplomacy."


BY SARAH KIM [[email protected]]