Chinese Foreign Minister Tries To Quell Kimchi Crisis
This is about the sanest comments I have heard about the Great Kimchi Crisis of 2005 between Korea and China:
Li was briefing reporters on the upcoming visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao beginning November 16 to South Korea to attend the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders summit. South Korean officials have called for the matter to be resolved by a joint economic commission while Li said he was confident the dispute could be settled using normal trade rule mechanisms.
“The best way (to solve the issue) is for us to follow the internationally accepted trade process, show flexibility and creativeness, and have discussions to address the problems,” Li said.
He even said he liked kimchi:
China’s Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing has downplayed a growing trade rift with South Korea over the import of Chinese kimchi, saying he had no fear of eating the spicy cabbage dish loved by Koreans. “Three days ago when I was in Pyongyang, the capital of the DPRK (North Korea), I had very good kimchi, it was delicious,” Li told journalists.
“Two days ago in the capital of the Republic of Korea, Seoul, I had very good kimchi as well and the day before yesterday, when we were talking about the Middle East issue on the question of Syria at the United Nations (in New York) … I ordered kimchi.”
I doubt this will stop the Great Kimchi Crisis because of the domestical political reasons behind it in Korea, but at least someone is speaking sanely on this issue.
[…] continue to play this game as long as there are no consequences for it. Everyone remember the Great Kimchi Crisis of 2005 between Korea and China? During the crisis the Korean government tried to stop Chinese kimchi […]