Moon‘s China visit will boost additional 0.2% growth: Cheong Wa Dae

Dec 18, 2017, 08:59 am

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Senior presidential press secretary Yoon Young-chan (left), presidential economic adviser Kim Hyun-chul, and National Security Council deputy directory Nam Gyan-pyo discuss the achievements of President Moon Jae-in's state visit to China through a Facebook Live broadcast titled, "11:50 at the Blue House" on Dec. 17./ Source: Yonhap News

By AsiaToday reporter Son Ji-eun

The greatest achievements of President Moon Jae-in's state visit to China and the summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping are the end of the economic problems between Seoul and Beijing ignited by the deployment of the THAAD (terminal high altitude area defense) anti-missile system and recovery of normal economic relations, the presidential official Cheong Wa Dae (Blue House) pointed out on Sunday.

Cheong Wa Dae evaluated the results of President Moon's China trip and actively denied China's poor treatment controversies, through a Facebook Live broadcast titled, "11:50 at the Blue House." The 25-minute show was attended by senior presidential press secretary Yoon Young-chan, presidential economic adviser Kim Hyun-chul, and National Security Council deputy directory Nam Gyan-pyo.

"The biggest goal the visit was restoring normal economic ties," said Kim. "Korean residents and businessmen in China said in the recent local meeting that they were having difficulties. One of them told me that the Seoul-Beijing ties were so strained that their kids couldn't tell people they were Koreans, but they are thankful now because President's Moon's visit solved the problem." Kim said, "This is expected to boost Korea's economic growth by 0.2%. If South Korea's economic growth rate is at 2.8%, the settling of the THAAD issue will boost economic growth additionally by 0.2%, which sets the foundation for achieving a growth rate of 3.0%."

Cheong Wa Dae also disputed suggestions that they lacked the preparation to clinch President's visit within the year after the agreement on the normalization of the bilateral relations on Oct. 31. "Originally, China invited Moon during the G20 (last July) to visit the country within the year. Although China was placed in a tough situation as many foreign leaders were visiting the country after the 19th People's Congress, there was a request from China to make it a meaningful visit within the year in celebration of 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries," Nam said.

"Considering the economic problems, it shouldn't be postponed to next year." He added that it was such a great thing to visit this time considering the economic loss of 30 billion won per day caused by the THAAD dispute," Kim pointed out.

They also dismissed some claims that China mistreated Moon. To the allegations of making a diplomatic discourtesy as Xi Jinping did not stay in Beijing on Dec. 13, the day President Moon Jae-in arrived China, Yoon said, "It was the 80th anniversary of the Nanjing Massacre. It was a national ceremony, so it was a natural thing, not a huge discourtesy."

Nam said, "Officials in Chongqing told me that the city cared very much about Moon's visit. The president arrived at Chongqing at 11 pm. The city is famous for its night view. Lights are originally turned off at 10 pm, but they made special arrangements so that the president could enjoy the view as he passed by."

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