South Korean President Park Geun-hye's attendance at China's military parade set for next week could be helpful in advancing her regional peace and cooperation vision, a senior official said Thursday.
Park's decision to be at the Sept. 3 parade commemorating the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II came as the U.S. and other Western leaders are expected to shun the event, seen as a show of force amid Beijing's increasingly assertive actions in territorial disputes with its neighbors.
The U.S. government said that it respects South Korea's decision.
But some experts have frowned, raising doubts whether her attendance would further the goals of her Northeast Asia Peace and Cooperation Initiative, a vision that calls for promoting peace in the region by building trust in a step-by-step manner through exchanges.
"Considering that engaging China could affect multilateral relations, I think there could be more positive (effects) than negative ones," the senior official said of effects Park's attendance at the parade would have on her peace vision.
The official also said there is widespread support in the U.S. government for her vision, aimed at resolving the so-called "Asia Paradox," a term that refers to countries in Northeast Asia feuding over history and territorial disputes despite their deep economic interdependence.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said that South Korea decided on Park's attendance as part of efforts to enlist China's cooperation in resolving North Korea issues, including its nuclear weapon and missile programs.
Beijing, whose food and fuel supplies prop up the impoverished North, is considered the only country with any meaningful influence over Pyongyang.
"There are many (North Korea) issues ... These are not helpful for the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia," he said. "It's important for the international community to speak with one voice on these and China is playing a big role in the process. So for us, it's important to engage China."
South Korea and China are former battlefield foes as China fought alongside North Korea in the 1950-53 Korean War, while the United States and 20 other allied countries fought on South Korea's side under the U.N. flag.
But Seoul and Beijing have steadily improved ties since establishing diplomatic relations in 1992. (Yonhap)
