China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi
China’s top diplomat urged South Korea and Japan to recognize their ‘roots’ and resist Western influences, in racially charged remarks to Seoul and Tokyo officials.
Wang Yi, who is in charge of the ruling Communist Party’s foreign policy, said on Monday at a trilateral summit in the eastern city of Qingdao that Western forces had purposefully played up ideological differences between the countries.
He also argued for racial unity among the three countries, claiming that “Europeans and Americans can’t tell the difference between Chinese, Japanese, and South Koreans”.
“No matter how yellow our hair is dyed or how sharp we change our nose, we can’t become Westerners”, he explained.
“We should know where our roots are”, he added.
Wang’s comments come at a time when China is growing increasingly irritated with its East Asian neighbors over Washington’s moves to bolster military and intelligence relations with its two closest allies.
Last month, Seoul summoned China’s ambassador to South Korea after he met with a local opposition leader and mourned the nations’ bad relations, implying Seoul was influenced by ‘external factors’.
China has also stated its strong opposition to Japan’s intentions to discharge treated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea.
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