The author is honest.
Trump’s front foot landed in South Korea, and the back foot ate a downstairs, which has nothing to do with China.
On October 29, U.S. President Trump arrived in South Korea's Changzhou in a special plane "Air Force One" to participate in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit, which is the third stop of Trump's trip to Asia.
Previously, he visited Malaysia and Japan, which had a meaning of "air".
Trump had just landed on the ground when he received a blow. This matter has nothing to do with China, but is due to the "special relationship" between the United States and South Korea.
and ,
It turned out that just after Trump arrived in South Korea, demonstrations broke out in Seoul.
Hundreds of demonstrators held signs saying "Don't Trump" to vent their dissatisfaction with Trump.
Although there is a row of police buses blocking the road in front of the U.S. Embassy in South Korea, the sound from the loudspeaker is still floating over the embassy and transmitted into the embassy.
I wonder how American officials felt when they saw this.
As a long-standing important ally of the United States, South Korea still relies on the United States’ “security guarantees”.
But because Trump took office and launched a "tariff war" to impose 25% tariffs on South Korea, this left the relationship with South Korea and the United States fluctuating.
Not only that, China is South Korea's largest trading partner and export market. After Lee Jae-ming became South Korea's president, how to handle its relations with China and the United States has once become a hot topic in the outside world.
South Korea has deep economic connections with China and relies on the United States for development, so Li's foreign policy is very important.
After Lee Jae-myung came to power, he said that everything should put South Korea's interests first. He changed the one-sided ruling philosophy of the Yin Xiyue government and demonstrated his affinity for China.
2nd ,
On the other hand, in August this year, Li Zaiming visited the White House to talk with Trump, trying to appease the strong ally of the United States, and of course also focused on the tariff issue.
Under pressure from the United States, South Korea announced that it would invest US$350 billion in the United States and would also purchase US$100 billion in liquefied natural gas.
In exchange, Trump promised to reduce tariffs on South Korea from 25% to 15%.
In addition, the United States also pledged to give South Korea’s medicines the most favourable treatment, and to impose zero tariffs on aircraft parts, replicas, and natural resources not produced in the United States.
Of course, South Korea will invest US$150 billion in the U.S. shipbuilding industry, hoping to expand the size and influence of the United States in the global shipbuilding industry.
This obvious interest comes first, so that the Korean people can't feel the sincerity of their allies.
In addition, because of Trump’s harsh immigration policy, a modern automobile factory in Georgia has been subjected to immigration enforcement operations, with more than 300 South Koreans detained, most of whom returned home.
As an important investment enterprise in the United States, Hyundai Motor has been treated like this, which makes the Korean people quite dissatisfied with it, so this demonstration is also seen as a duel to Trump.
Third,
A South Korean who gathered outside the U.S. embassy to protest said he believes the US-Korean relationship has broken down, at least the relationship is eroding.
In Trump's view, South Korea is the cash machine of the United States, or "cash cow".
In order to maintain the previous good relations, the United States required South Korea to make huge investments in the United States, which made the South Korean people feel that the United States did not regard South Korea as a true equal partner.
The eyes of the masses are sharp. Li Zai-ming proposed that South Korea's interests should be given priority, but Trump gave priority to the interests of the United States.
When there is a conflict of interests, it depends on who is stronger.
According to U.S. media reports, Trump's stay in South Korea this time should be relatively short, and after arriving in South Korea on October 29, Trump is likely to leave the next day.
Although he will hold face-to-face talks with Chinese leaders, South Korea had hoped to finalize the tariff issue before the APEC meeting, but now it seems that there is only a preliminary framework.
As the host of the APEC meeting, South Korea will be a major diplomatic test for newly appointed President Lee Jae-myung, who will meet with the leaders of China, Japan and the United States.
How to balance diplomatic relations and bring the greatest benefits to South Korea is something Li Zai-ming needs to consider.
No matter how well Li Zaiming said after taking office, whether he is friendly to China or not depends on specific policies.
State diplomacy and people-to-people relationship is a logic, not only to see what he says, but also to see how he does. can not be said in the mouth, but the actual action is not so.
Trump had praised him in his previous meeting with Japan's new Prime Minister Saami Takashi, but he refused to give in when it involved U.S. interests. Japanese companies should be allowed to invest in the United States. Japan must have promised US$550 billion.
This so-called "allied" relationship, I don't know what high-market early-size feel inside.
Lee explains how to deal with this passive relationship, which is where his political wisdom needs to be tested.
——END——