Wang Yi speaks during the 2023 Munich Security Conference on February 18, 2023 in Munich, Germany.Johannes Simon/Getty Images
China’s top diplomat Wang Yi reminded Japanese and South Koreans of their ethnicity.
He said they “can never become Westerners” and called for closer cooperation between their nations.
“We need to know where our roots are,” Wang said at an annual international relations forum.
China’s top diplomat urged Japan and South Korea to work more closely with Beijing, saying they could change their looks but would “never become westerners”.
“It doesn’t matter how much you dye your hair blond, how sharp you make your nose, you never become European or American. They never become westerners,” Wang Yi told South Korean and Japanese guests at a conference in Qingdao on Monday.
“We need to know where our roots are,” the diplomat said, according to a recording of the conversation shared by Chinese media.
Most Europeans and Americans are unable to distinguish between Chinese, Japanese or Koreans, Wang added.
Wang, speaking at the annual International Forum for Trilateral Cooperation, said the three nations should send a “clear signal” that they want to work together, adding that they resist a “Cold War mentality” and oppose “bullying.” and bullying” should resist hegemony.”
The diplomat’s comments come amid troubled US-China relations over Taiwan, chip restrictions and allegations that Beijing is spying on the US with a balloon. Tensions escalated further in June, when President Joe Biden called Chinese leader Xi Jinping a “dictator” and Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Beijing to ease ties between the two nations.
South Korea and Japan, close US allies, recently allied publicly with Washington on several hot issues, and have released joint statements with the White House on Taiwan over the past two years. Both nations also conducted high-profile military exercises with the US this year.
Washington has sought to stem China’s growing influence in the rest of Asia, while Beijing seeks closer ties with countries like Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.
Read the original article on Business Insider