Illustration: Chen Xia/GT

Amid complex geopolitical competition, the question of how South Korea can carve out new avenues for cooperation with China under external pressure has emerged as a focal point of attention in the region and the global arena.

While expressing hope for constructive relations with Washington and Beijing in a written interview with Brazilian newspapers, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said that South Korea's relations with the US and China are not about choosing "one country or the other" as both are "very important cooperation partners," the Yonhap News Agency reported on Monday.

As a key player in East Asia, South Korea has maintained close ties with both China and the US across various domains, including the economy, culture and security. This complex relationship makes it impossible for South Korea to simply take sides between the two powers. 

Yoon's emphasis that South Korea cannot choose "one or the other" between China and the US is essentially leaving room for the continued development of China-South Korea cooperation. This is because a balanced diplomatic strategy, which aims to strengthen its alliance with the US without compromising its relationship with China, is the most effective approach to safeguarding and advancing South Korea's interests.

This approach reflects a clear understanding of the economic importance of China-South Korea cooperation. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1992, economic and trade cooperation between China and South Korea has continuously deepened, becoming an important engine for each other's development. 

In particular, against the backdrop of a sluggish global economic recovery, the stability and deepening of China-South Korea cooperation play an irreplaceable role in South Korea's economic growth and industrial upgrading. 

In 2021 and 2022, bilateral trade exceeded $360 billion in each year. In 2023, despite the world economic slowdown, bilateral trade still surpassed $310 billion. 

From January to September this year, bilateral trade reached $240.04 billion, a year-on-year rise of 4.5 percent, with South Korea's exports to China up by 11.9 percent. South Korea has surpassed Japan to become China's second-largest trading partner, while China has remained South Korea's largest trading partner for 20 consecutive years.

There is no denying that South Korea still faces significant external pressure, particularly from the US policy aimed at containing China, which has had a negative impact on South Korea's cooperation with its neighbor. 

These challenges not only test South Korea's diplomatic acumen but also complicate efforts to deepen China-South Korea collaboration. In this context, how South Korea can engage in closer cooperation with China to further deepen economic and trade ties is indeed a question that requires careful consideration. 

China-South Korea cooperation still has broad development prospects despite external pressures. The key lies in how both sides can find more points of cooperation from a pragmatic perspective and ensure that these collaborations can reach their full potential. Specifically, to expand new space for China-South Korea cooperation under external pressure, South Korea can consider the following approaches.

In critical fields such as technology, environmental protection and new energy, South Korea can strengthen collaboration with China to jointly develop new technologies and promote industrial upgrades. These areas hold significant development potential and offer fresh momentum for the economic transformation and advancement of both nations.

South Korea also needs to enhance coordination with China in regional cooperation. As important economies in East Asia, there's great potential for cooperation among China, Japan and South Korea. South Korea can actively promote negotiations for a China-Japan-South Korea free trade zone to facilitate trade within the region. 

At the same time, South Korea can advance cooperation with ASEAN countries under the "10+3" mechanism, thereby broadening both the scope and depth of regional partnerships. Such efforts will not only bolster South Korea's influence within the region but also pave the way for enhanced cooperation between China and South Korea, fostering a more interconnected and mutually beneficial relationship that can address shared challenges and promote sustainable development across East Asia.

South Korea's reluctance to take sides is shared by ASEAN countries, and any move to divide rather than promote regional economic integration is not in the interests of any country in the region.