President Park Geun - hye ' s actions displayed throughout the Asia - Pacific Economic Cooperation ( APEC ) Summit in Bali , Indonesia can be summarized as " pro - China and anti - Japan . " President Park has already met with Chinese President Xi Jinping three times since she took office , while showing an icy attitude toward Japan , barely making eye contact with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe . This scene shows that South Korea - China relations have become closer under the Park Geun - hye government , and that cooperation in security and the economy have strengthened . In addition , some pundits claim that South Korea and China , which are in conflict with Japan over historical and territorial issues , are intentionally displaying their intimacy . On such a display of closeness , the Japanese media reported , " South Korea and China have common interests in isolating Japan . " Such a " pro - China , anti - Japan " stance is part of South Korea ' s various diplomatic efforts amid a dynamics in Northeast Asia which is unfolding in a complex manner . One diplomatic source said , " Such a direction is not the picture South Korea wants , and it is not the ultimate diplomatic goal either . It is only one aspect which has been temporarily captured . " The problem is deeply related to the American influence in Northeast Asia . The United States ' attempt to keep China in check by strengthening security cooperation with South Korea and Japan is the primary cause of South Korea ' s latest diplomatic actions . On the outside , a pro - China , anti - Japan feature may be apparent , but behind that lies South Korea ' s risky " tightrope diplomacy " caught between the U . S . and China . China is deliberately trying to narrow its distance with South Korea as part of its strategy in response to efforts by the U . S . to keep Beijing in check . Meanwhile , South Korea cannot just watch as Japan , with some help from the U . S . , charges toward becoming a military power veered to the right without any reflection on its past history ; nor can it oppose the U . S . and push the brakes on the situation . At the same time , South Korea must avoid active participation in strengthening cooperation with the U . S . and Japan so as not to provoke China . The Park Geun - hye government made China nervous by discussing ways to strengthen security and military cooperation with the U . S . prior to the latest South Korea - China summit . At the annual security consultative meeting held in Seoul on October 2 , South Korea and the U . S . agreed to postpone the transfer of wartime operational control , and shared views on the need for mutual ties in managing the Korea Air and Missile Defense ( KAMD ) and the U . S . Missile Defense ( MD ) . Thus Park ' s actions in Bali can be seen as an attempt at " balance " in order to secure some latitude between the U . S . and China . One government official said , " That South Korea would be facing a diplomatically challenging situation between the U . S . and China was already foreseen when China emerged as a force determining the world order along with the U . S . " " The game just became more complicated , because of Japan ' s trend toward the right and the deterioration of South Korea - Japan relations , " he assessed . Foreign affairs experts think the situation so far is just the beginning . They argue that the diplomatic challenges up ahead will be difficult equations , much more difficult with various factors to consider simultaneously . Above all , South Korea is restricted in making progress with its relationship with China . South Korea has different views with China on North Korea ' s nuclear issue . Also , South Korea is partly involved in the U . S . Missile Defense system . This time , President Park did not express any thoughts on joining the Trans - Pacific Partnership ( TPP ) led by the U . S . , but this is another issue South Korea will not be able to avoid indefinitely . China understands the TPP to be a U . S . strategy to keep China in check economically . Experts advise that the first step in tackling this situation is a prompt restoration of relations with Japan . The government official said , " At this stage , strengthening cooperation with the U . S . is most urgent , so that Japan may display a progressive attitude on issues concerning the past and the Dokdo islets . " 경향신문 독자 이벤트 로버트카파 사진 전 40 % 할인 바로 가 기 모바일 경향 [ 경향 뉴 스진 | 경향신문 앱 | 모바일 웹 ] | 공식 SNS 계정 [ 경향 트위터 ] [ 미 투데이 ] [ 페이스북 ] [ 세상 과 경향 의 소통 커뮤니티 ] - ⓒ 경향신문 ( www . khan . co . kr ) , 무단 전재 및 재 배포 금지 〈 경향신문 은 한국 온라인 신문협회 ( www . kona . or . kr ) 의 디지털 뉴스 이용 규칙 에 따른 저작 권 을 행사 합니다 . 〉