Park calls for ‘leap’ in Seoul-Beijing ties

President-elect Park Geun-hye said Korea and China should advance relations by creating a shared vision for the future, during talks with a senior official dispatched by Beijing, Thursday.

Park, who will take office late next month, added that the region must send a “consistent and clear message” to North Korea over its nuclear weapons program, in a sign that she will enlist Beijing’s cooperation to reel in its communist ally.

During the talks in Seoul, the envoy, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun, delivered a letter from incoming President Xi Jinping as well as an invitation from Xi to visit Beijing.

“Let’s create a shared vision in order to take a leap forward over the next 20 years,” Park said, highlighting the ties the countries have forged over the previous two decades of relations.

In the letter, Xi said Beijing sees Seoul as an important neighbor and will work to further bolster ties. Xi invited Park to visit at her convenience.

The talks came while the region is immersed in a period of political flux due to leadership changes in Seoul, Beijing and Tokyo. These coincide with a cabinet reshuffle in Washington for U.S. President Barack Obama’s second term.

The Kim Jong-un regime in North Korea has added a level of intrigue with its long-range rocket launch last month, which the allies believe advanced its nuclear weapons capabilities. They are pushing for the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) to adopt tough punitive measures for this act, but efforts have reportedly been hampered by reluctance from Beijing, the North’s ally and a permanent UNSC member.

Park stressed that during the talks she will not tolerate any provocation from the North but will remain open to dialogue with the Kim Jong-un regime, her spokeswoman Cho Yoon-sun said.

“North Korea’s nuclear development can never be tolerated for national security and safety of our people,” Park was quoted as saying by Cho. Seoul “will respond sternly with additional provocations.”

Park says she will try to build trust with the regime on an incremental basis after a hard line by the Lee Myung-bak administration saw a halt in cross-border contact. But she also vows to wield a heavier stick if the North acts up.

Analysts expect that Park will attempt to improve relations with China following the Lee administration’s Washington-focused approach. While the neighbors have consolidated economic relations, analysts say the political relationship lags behind, with issues such as China’s treatment of South Korean detainees and repatriation of North Korean defectors remaining as stumbling blocks.

The visit will give Park’s team a chance to feel out the new generation of Chinese leadership led by Xi.

Zhang is seen as a key Chinese official who will play an increasingly important role in Beijing’s ties with both Koreas. He is currently in charge of handling the annual strategic dialogue Beijing and Seoul.

Before his courtesy call with Park, Zhang met Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan and discussed how to enhance ties as both countries undergo political transitions. Kim highlighted “significant progress” in relations in recent years and called for more exchanges between the sides.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell is slated to make a two-day visit to starting Tuesday to bolster coordination between the allies ahead of the leadership change in Seoul. <The Korea Times/Kim Young-jin>