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China envoy blasts US for dividing Seoul and Beijing, defends Hu Jintao exit at Communist Party congress
- Chinese ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming accused the US of being the ‘biggest external challenge’ to Seoul-Beijing relations
- Envoy also claimed dramatic exit of former president Hu Jintao during 20th party congress was due to the ex-leader’s age
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Park Chan-kyongin Seoul
China’s top envoy in South Korea on Wednesday accused the United States of being the “biggest external challenge” to Seoul-Beijing relations, and dismissed allegations that his country was turning a blind eye to Pyongyang’s nuclear development.
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Ambassador Xing Haiming also lambasted Washington for its “self-righteousness” and “America-first” attitude, which he said stemmed from the country’s belief they are a “God-chosen people”.
“The biggest external challenge is the United States. The most serious internal difficulties are peoples’ misconceptions” in South Korea and China towards each other, said Xing.
He added that the dramatic departure by former President Hu Jintao from the recently concluded Communist Party congress was nothing more than a simple misunderstanding, claiming the elderly Hu had to step outside for a break.
The envoy’s blunt remarks come as the US seeks to herd South Korea, Japan and other “like-minded” countries into a regional alliance to contain the increasingly assertive China, adding fuel to the mounting rivalry between the two superpowers.
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