China and South Korea likely to hold maritime talks after Yellow Sea standoff

IANS April 14, 2025 158 views

South Korea and China are preparing for high-level maritime talks following a recent standoff in the Yellow Sea's Provisional Maritime Zone. The discussions aim to address China's unauthorized steel structure installations and potential territorial disputes. Both countries seek to maintain diplomatic channels and resolve tensions through dialogue. The talks represent a critical opportunity to reaffirm mutual maritime rights and prevent escalation of regional conflicts.

"We seek continued communication based on mutual respect for maritime rights" - Wang Yi, Chinese Foreign Minister
Seoul, April 14: South Korea and China plan to hold working-level talks on maritime issues later this month, diplomatic sources said Monday, as Seoul seeks to reinforce calls for stability following a recent standoff with Beijing in overlapping waters.

Key Points

1

Bilateral talks aim to resolve Yellow Sea maritime zone disputes

2

China installed unauthorized structures in Provisional Maritime Zone

3

South Korea demands protection of legitimate maritime rights

4

Diplomatic channels seek peaceful resolution of territorial tensions

The two countries are fine-tuning the details to hold the Director General-level dialogue in Seoul, headed by their foreign ministries, sources said.

The talks, if realised, would come after the brief standoff between the two neighbours in the Yellow Sea in February, when Chinese authorities blocked the South Korean Coast Guard's attempt to approach a steel structure built by China in the Provisional Maritime Zone (PMZ) near South Korea's southwest coast.

Seoul sent a research ship to investigate the structure China installed without authorization. China claimed that the structure was a commercial aquafarm and that Seoul had no right to investigate.

The PMZ is an area where the Exclusive Economic Zones of South Korea and China overlap. The two sides have reached an agreement to allow their fishing vessels to operate there and jointly manage marine resources, while prohibiting any activities beyond navigation and fishing.

Despite the agreement, China has installed several large steel structures in the zone, raising concerns over potential territorial disputes, Yonhap news agency reported.

Should the talks take place, South Korea is expected to highlight its position that no Chinese activities in the overlapping waters should affect its "legitimate and lawful" maritime rights.

China has faced pushback from South Korea after it was discovered that Beijing had installed two structures in the area in 2018 and 2024, before a third one was found earlier this year. The installations have prompted Seoul to address the issue more assertively.

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul raised the issue during his bilateral talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Tokyo last month. Wang called for continued communication based on mutual respect for maritime rights.

Seoul and Beijing launched the maritime dialogue in December 2019 as a bilateral channel for broad discussions on related issues. Their previous talks took place in April and June of 2021.

Reader Comments

J
James L.
Glad to see diplomatic channels being used instead of escalation. These talks are long overdue considering China's been building structures there since 2018. Hope South Korea stands firm on protecting its maritime rights.
M
Minji K.
As someone who lives near the southwest coast, this issue hits close to home. China calling these "aquafarms" when they're clearly permanent structures is ridiculous 😤 Our government needs to protect our waters!
T
Thomas W.
While I support South Korea's position, I wish our media would present more of China's perspective too. There are always two sides to these disputes, even if we ultimately disagree with their actions.
S
Soo-jin P.
This is why international maritime laws need to be stronger. When big countries can just ignore agreements, what's the point? Hope the talks lead to concrete actions, not just more empty promises 🤞
D
David H.
Interesting that the last talks were in 2021. Makes you wonder why it took another standoff to restart discussions. Both countries should be meeting regularly to prevent these tensions from building up.
A
Ari K.
The "commercial aquafarm" excuse would be funny if it wasn't so concerning. Nobody builds massive steel structures just for fish farming. Hope our diplomats bring satellite photos to the talks as evidence.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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Tags:
China-South Korea Relations Yellow Sea Dispute Maritime Diplomacy Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul Wang Yi Provisional Maritime Zone
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