[Editorial] Seoul-Beijing trust

President Park Geun-hye has wrapped up her highly successful visit to China. During the four-day trip, she has captured the hearts and minds of the Chinese, laying the groundwork for enhanced ties between the two neighbors in the next 20 years.

Before leaving for China, Park described her visit as “a journey of hearts and trust.” The description well summed up the main objective of her trip to China: She sought to bond the peoples of the two countries together with trust.

Park has built her relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping on that basis. Calling Park “an old friend of China,” Xi endorsed her policy toward North Korea and her vision for unification.

According to a joint statement released after their summit, the Chinese leader shared an understanding with Park that “North Korea’s possession of nuclear weapons cannot be tolerated under any circumstances.”

By declaring unequivocally his opposition to the North’s nuclear ambitions, Xi underlined a shift in China’s North Korea policy. Previously, Beijing put the stability of the Korean Peninsula and the survival of the current regime in Pyongyang before denuclearization. Now denuclearization comes before anything else.

Xi also expressed support for “independent and peaceful unification of the Korean Peninsula,” a statement that is interpreted here as indicating that China would tolerate a Seoul-led unification of the two Koreas.

Xi’s desire to deepen the friendship with Park was well demonstrated by the special luncheon he hosted for her on Friday, which followed a state dinner the previous day. The lunch meeting was also attended by Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan.

At the meeting, the Chinese leader said Park’s visit to China would reshape future relations between the two countries. Referring to the prominent coverage that the Chinese media gave to her visit, Xi said Park left a deep impression on the Chinese people, especially women and young people.

While building trust with Chinese leaders, Park staged a charm offensive toward the Chinese people. Park used her good command of Chinese to win their affection as most Chinese tend to feel affinity with foreign leaders who speak their language.

Park impressed her audience at Tshinghua University by speaking in fluent Chinese at the beginning and closing of her speech.

She also tried to show her respect for China’s culture and history throughout her stay in China. One example is her visit to Xian, a city with 3,000 years of history. Instead of visiting Shanghai, the economic capital of China, she chose Xian, a symbol of China’s long history and brilliant culture.

Through her visit to the ancient city, Park conveyed the message that understanding the culture and history of a partner country is the first step toward enhancing communication with it.

She also offered to repatriate 360 sets of remains of Chinese troops killed during the Korean War, an overture that reflected her desire to open a new chapter in relations with China based on the reconciliation of past animosities.

Many China experts say the key to upgrading ties with Beijing lies in capturing the hearts and minds of the Chinese under a long-term perspective. They warn against focusing on short-term gains. Park has followed this advice.

Park stepped off on the right foot in bolstering relations with China. She needs to further improve Chinese leaders’ understanding of her policies toward the North and her initiative for peace and cooperation in Northeast Asia. This will accelerate the process of unification.