Home > National > Diplomacy

Chinese ambassador urges Korean gov't to find 'fundamental solution' to anti-Beijing protests

Published: 11 Nov. 2025, 19:04

Chinese Ambassador to Korea Dai Bing delivers congratulatory remarks at a Korea-China think tank dialogue hosted by Korea's Institute for Global Strategy and Cooperation at the Hotel President in Jung District, central Seoul, on Nov. 11. [NEWS1]

Chinese Ambassador to Korea Dai Bing on Tuesday urged the Korean government to “find a fundamental solution” to ongoing anti-China demonstrations in the country.

Speaking at a forum which roughly translates to “A New Leap in the Korea-China Strategic Cooperative Partnership” held at the Hotel President in Jung District, central Seoul, Dai said, “Far-right forces in Korea are spreading disinformation about China and organizing anti-China protests, which not only damage the friendship between our two countries but also tarnish Korea’s national image.”

The forum was co-hosted by Korea’s Institute for Global Strategy and Cooperation and China’s Global Governance Institution. Dai’s remarks came as he emphasized the importance of fostering goodwill between the Korean and Chinese people.

His comments appeared to echo Chinese President Xi Jinping’s message during a Korea-China summit on Nov. 1, when Xi proposed “amplifying positive developments and curbing negative trends” in bilateral relations.

Dai also highlighted China’s recent extension of its visa-free policy for Korean nationals through the end of 2026, saying, “We welcome more Korean citizens to experience a China that is open, prosperous and friendly.”

The same day, President Lee Jae Myung addressed the spread of hate speech and disinformation during a Cabinet meeting, stating, “Hateful rhetoric targeting certain groups is being indiscriminately disseminated on social media, and false or manipulated information is rampant.”

“The spread of racist or discriminatory content and the distortion of facts threatens democracy and constitutes a crime that must be eradicated,” he added.

His remarks were interpreted as signaling a tough stance on recent anti-China protests by conservative groups.
Dai also stressed that Korea-China relations should not be swayed by third parties.

“Our relationship does not target a third country, nor should it be influenced by one,” he said. “Unilateral hegemonism, protectionism and decoupling harm the shared interests of China and Korea. We must jointly oppose such trends and uphold international fairness and justice.”

His comments were viewed as a veiled reference to U.S.-led efforts to economically decouple from China and to U.S. President Donald Trump’s protectionist trade policies.

Chinese Ambassador to Korea Dai Bing, shown third from left in front row, and Hong Ki-won, fourth from left in front row, secretary general of the Korea-China Parliamentarians' Friendship Association (translated), pose for a commemorative photo at a Korea-China think tank dialogue hosted by Korea's Institute for Global Strategy and Cooperation at the Hotel President in Jung District, central Seoul, on Nov. 11. [NEWS1]

Dai also touched on multilateral issues, saying, “Some countries opposed the inclusion of language referencing the World Trade Organization and International Monetary Fund in the Gyeongju Declaration,” referring to the recent APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting.

“If Korea had not been the host, China might not have been able to support it so strongly. I believe Korea will also support next year’s APEC summit in Shenzhen.”

Dai went on to criticize Japan’s new prime minister for recent comments regarding China.

“Unfortunately, Japan’s new prime minister has made negative remarks about China recently, which are unacceptable to us and harmful to the development of China-Japan relations,” he said.

His remarks were seen as referring to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s statement on Friday, in which she said a Taiwan contingency could qualify as a “situation threatening Japan’s survival,” potentially allowing for the exercise of collective self-defense under Japan’s security laws.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY SHIM SEOK-YONG [[email protected]]