Good-Neighbor Relations is the Best Guarantee for National Security

By Liu Si, reporter of Daily Telegraph



Good-Neighbor Relations is the Best Guarantee for National Security

By Liu Si, reporter of Daily Telegraph

In the face of doubts and objections for introduction of the THAAD system into in South Korea, ROK President Park Geun-hye just after the end of the summer vacation stressed at the ROK state meeting that the deployment of the THAAD system is to protect the South Korean people from North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, which is related to national and public safety, thus, cannot be changed.

Countries such as Russia and China, etc. are clearly opposed to the deployment of the THAAD system in South Korea. On this occasion, the public opinions criticize the decision harming both South Korea and its neighbors, injuring others and ruining itself, damaging strategic security of neighboring countries, tilting the strategic balance in the region and endangering the peace and stability in Northeast Asia, the leaders of South Korea's position is disappointing. The South Korean authorities need to recognize the fact that the biggest risk for deployment of the THAAD system is the coming back of the cold war specter, a severe damage to maintaining peace and stability in the region. One or two high-tech weapons cannot safeguard the national security, good-neighbor relationship is the basis for the protection of a country's security.

History is the best textbook. As a direct victim of the cold war, the Korean people in the long period of the cold war had experienced the national division, and suffered from the pain of war, but also paid a heavy price for the long-time confrontation. After the end of the cold war, South Korean leaders have gradually realized the confrontation under the iron curtain is not in favor of national development, only peace and reconciliation can eliminate the threat of war and win the respect of the world, and only mutually beneficial cooperation can produce economic prosperity, and create a promising future.

At the 1988 Seoul Olympics, South Korea shouted the slogan of "the world coming to Seoul, Seoul going to the world", broke barriers of the cold war, greeted Olympic athletes from both East and West Camps, showed a new image to the world and became a turning point for South Korea to go to the world. After the end of the cold war, South Korea takes the initiative to break the ideological barriers, and establishes diplomatic relations with China, Russia and other countries, carries out balanced diplomacy, promotes pragmatic cooperation, and actively safeguards regional peace and stability, not only improving its international status, also winning a good security environment, and laying the foundation for economic prosperity. Thanks to the mutually beneficial cooperation with the neighboring countries, especially with China, the South Korean economy in the 1997 Asian financial crisis and the 2008 international financial crisis successfully moved out of the mire, and gained new vitality

As close neighbors, China and South Korea share a unique advantage in cooperation. Over the years, China has been South Korea's largest trading partner, largest export market, largest source of imports, largest overseas investment destination, largest source of overseas students and biggest overseas travel destination. South Korea has also become one of China's most important trading and investment partners. The total bilateral trade volume of China and South Korea is moving towards the goal of US$300 billion, more than the total trade volume of ROK-U.S., ROK-Japan, and ROK-Europe put together. South Korea's 60% of trade surplus comes from China. Chinese dream and ROK manufacture dream are the same, South Korea has joined the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and signed China-ROK FTA, which install a new engine for the development of friendly relations between the two countries.

On the occasion that the Sino-ROK cooperation brings great realistic and long-term interests to South Korea, South Korean authorities on the grounds of preventing "threats from North Korea's nuclear and missile threats" and maintaining national safety, ignors China’s strategic security concerns, and may trigger an arms race and undermine regional stability and peace.

This approach makes Chinese people bitterly disappointed, and also overshadows the relationship between China and South Korea. National development, and national rejuvenation are not separated from the peaceful and stable surrounding l environment. The THAAD system deployed in South Korea will not help to resolve the Peninsula nuclear issue, but can only stimulate the DPRK to go farther and farther on the road to nuclear and missile development, and push the Peninsula into a vicious spiral of escalating military confrontation.

Looking at the whole world, West Asia and North Africa have suffered much from turmoil. With chaotic domestic situation and civil unrest, how can a country expects to engage in development. The United States and other Western countries forced their military intervention into these regions, thoroughly broke the original balance, and can hardly get away with it..

Whether it is the historical lessons of South Korea itself, or the harsh reality of West Asia and North Africa are enough to get the South Korean authorities on alert, and consider the consequences the forced introduction of the THAAD system may produce. If the South Korean government and leaders value the national security and people's well-being and harmony, they should stay away from confrontation mentality and the cold war thinking, adhere to good-neighbor friendship, respect and take care of the interests of neighboring countries.