Chinese envoy warns against anti-Beijing sentiment in Korea in first press conference
Published: 26 Feb. 2025, 14:05
Updated: 26 Feb. 2025, 15:35
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- LIM JEONG-WON
- [email protected]
Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI
![Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Dai Bing speaks during a press conference at the embassy in Jung District, central Seoul, on Feb. 25. [PARK HYUN-JU]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/02/26/d1da6ba9-879d-4906-8726-f9c710fef7a3.jpg)
Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Dai Bing speaks during a press conference at the embassy in Jung District, central Seoul, on Feb. 25. [PARK HYUN-JU]
Chinese Ambassador to Seoul Dai Bing criticized anti-Chinese sentiment among South Koreans and related rallies in some parts of the country, saying that "blaming China is absurd" and that it would "not help South Korea's image" if anti-Beijing protests continued.
"Anti-Chinese forces are a very small minority in South Korea, but they have strong destructive power,” Dai said during a press conference held Tuesday at the embassy in Jung District, central Seoul. “Anti-Chinese rallies have been on the rise, including an extreme incident a few days ago where an attempt was made to storm the Chinese Embassy.”
The press conference was Dai's first since assuming his post in December last year.
A man in his 40s surnamed Ahn, dressed as Captain America, was arrested after attempting to storm the Chinese Embassy in Korea on Feb. 14. Dai called it a “very malicious incident.”
“In principle, I believe that the South Korean people have the ability and wisdom to handle domestic issues well, but we have no choice but to express our concerns appropriately depending on the specific situation,” said Dai.
The Chinese Embassy in South Korea on Feb. 9 refuted accusations of Chinese involvement in alleged election fraud in Korea, saying, “We oppose forcibly linking South Korea’s domestic affairs with China.”
Right-wing activists allege that China interfered in recent elections, claiming that Chinese nationals manipulated votes to favor certain political parties. These assertions have been refuted by official sources, including the National Election Commission and the National Intelligence Service, which found no evidence supporting such claims.
Dai repeatedly expressed his intention to improve South Korea-China relations regardless of Seoul's domestic political situation.
Regarding President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment, Dai said, "China always maintains the principle of noninterference in internal affairs,” adding that “diplomatic channels between China and South Korea are being smoothly established, and the direction of joint efforts is consistent to prevent more malicious incidents."
The envoy also touched on controversies surrounding technology.
Dai said he was "opposed to politicizing and discriminating against scientific and technological issues," referring to the controversy surrounding China's AI model DeepSeek. “The Chinese government has never required companies or individuals to collect or store data illegally.”
He added that the Chinese government "has demanded that Chinese companies comply with local rules when operating and has placed importance on protecting data privacy and personal information.” He also specifically argued for DeepSeek's superiority, calling the technology a "revolutionary innovation.”
Regarding the rush by the South Korean government, public institutions and private companies to block DeepSeek, Dai said China hopes the ban will be lifted soon. “We also hope South Korea can cooperate with China based on its own interests and AI cooperation,” he said.
After the launch of DeepSeek, the South Korean government blocked the AI application due to concerns over data privacy and security. The Personal Information Protection Commission suspended new downloads of the app, citing inadequate compliance with local privacy laws, while several government ministries have restricted its use to prevent potential leaks of sensitive information.
In a post on social media X on Feb. 13, Dai said, “China will cooperate with the international community, including South Korea, to create an open, inclusive, comprehensive and nondiscriminatory AI development environment that meets the universal expectations of the international community.”
Dai also argued that concerns over potential personal information leaks in the wake of certain technologies are natural in the information age.
“I think we cannot help but be concerned about personal information leaks through our tablets and cell phones in the information age,” he said. “However, news reports claiming that Chinese robots are watching you is just politicizing a technology issue.”
Amid the accelerating discussions to end the war in Ukraine, Dai was cautious about discussing China-Russia relations and North Korea-Russia cooperation.
However, he rejected speculation that China's influence on North Korea has weakened as Pyongyang and Moscow draw closer. "China has friendly communication and good relations with North Korea," he said. "The development of Russia-North Korea relations has nothing to do with this."
On the China-Russia relationship, he emphasized that the "biggest characteristic of the strategic cooperative relationship between China and Russia is that it is not influenced by any third party and does not target any third party.”
Regarding the prospect of visits to South Korea by high-ranking Chinese officials, such as Chinese President Xi Jinping and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Dai said China would "attach importance to South Korea's wishes and is well aware of South Korea's high expectation regarding Beijing.”
Update, Feb. 26: Background information on Chinese election interference allegations and Korean moves to restrict DeepSeek added.
BY PARK HYUN-JU,LIM JEONG-WON [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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