The Sino-Japanese Dispute And Korea

From The Brookings Institution:

H/T:  Terry

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Oh Kong-dan on the Sino-Japanese Dispute and Korea

by Robert Koehler on October 5, 2010



in China,East and Central Asia,Japan,South Korea



In the KT, Oh Kong-dan of the Brookings Institution writes on the impact of the recent Sino-Japanese clash on Korea. The “China as an abused daughter-in-law” analogy aside, it’s an interesting piece, but I have to wonder about the conclusion:



At numerous times throughout history Korea has ended up as a battleground for Chinese and Japanese armies. Sometimes the prize was the Korean Peninsula itself, and sometimes Korea was simply the road that armies trod between one great power and the other.



Is there a danger of this happening again? Does the fact that North Korea is a bitter enemy of Japan but a nominal friend of China make things worse? If China pushes too hard against Japan, which is backed up by the United States, will Koreans suffer? And is there anything Korea can do to prevent such a tragedy?



For starters, Korea needs to act like a smart, cool power and not become overly emotional about neighborhood conflicts. Korea also needs to keep open channels of communication with its neighbors to collect crucial information and express its opinions. This is not to say that Korea should be a neutral bystander. Korea needs to support what seems to be the right and fair thing to do, and it also has to look out for its own interests. Korea’s foreign policy makers must present Korean positions loudly and clearly, because Korea is no longer a weak country: it is important to both China and Japan.



Finally, Korea needs to remind its neighbors that it has powerful friends and allies throughout the world. Koreans are well-liked abroad, and the days when it was left alone to face its more powerful neighbors are long gone.



I’m not really sure how “well-liked” Koreans are abroad, but what I know is this — Japan is also well-liked abroad and has powerful friends, too, (the same powerful friends Korea has, in fact), and the Chinese just smacked it around. If Beijing has that little respect for Japan, I can’t imagine how little regard they have for Seoul.









Source and comments: http://www.rjkoehler.com/2010/10/05/oh-kong-dan-on-the-sino-japanese-dispute-and-korea/