South Korea’s Moon tries to leave US-China orbit, but lands back on Beijing’s belt and road
- The South Korean president heads to Central Asia in bid to further energy deals and break free from a reliance on Washington and Beijing
- But he will find it hard to escape the influence of China’s Belt and Road Initiative – and he’ll also need to navigate a roadblock: North Korea
“[Moon] wants to improve railroad linkage with Central Asia and Russia. It requires huge investment,” said Yu Hong, a senior researcher at the National University of Singapore’s East Asian Institute. “I think here China and South Korea can find some room for collaboration.”
Political uncertainties in Central Asia mean Moon could soon be scouting flush partners to help fund his plans. China, with its state development bank and experience in the region, would make an obvious choice.
But Moon may be wary of overly cosy economic ties with Beijing, especially where Washington is involved. Seoul saw the risk of being caught between the two in 2016 when it allowed the US to install the THAAD (terminal high-altitude area defence) system on its land. THAAD is intended to shoot down North Korean missiles, but employs a powerful radar system that Beijing says can penetrate deep into its territory and spy on its activities. In retaliation, Beijing took aim at the tourism industry, unofficially banning the sale of group tours to Seoul and costing South Korean businesses an estimated US$15 billion over a single year, according to the Hyundai Research Institute.
