Foreign ministry refuses to comment on Pelosi's expected visit to Taiwan

SEOUL, Aug. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's foreign ministry refused Tuesday to comment on U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's expected visit to Taiwan but reiterated its position on the importance of "stability and peace" in the Taiwan Strait.

Pelosi was reportedly expected to arrive in Taiwan later in the day, a high-profile trip that Beijing has opposed, as it views the self-governing island as part of its territory under a one-China principle.

"It is not appropriate for us to comment on a visit to a foreign country by a U.S. congressional figure," Ahn Eun-joo, the ministry's deputy spokesperson, told a regular press briefing.

Ahn reiterated Seoul's position on the importance of stability and peace in the Taiwan Strait and its continued support for the "peaceful development of cross-strait relations."

"In that regard, we have always been making constant efforts to make contributions where we can," she added.

Beijing's foreign ministry has warned against Pelosi's anticipated visit to Taiwan, saying it would amount to an interference with China's domestic affairs and could lead to "very serious" consequences.

The latest development in the context of an intensifying Sino-U.S. rivalry has highlighted a policy dilemma for South Korea, which seeks to maintain its security alliance with the United States, and its sprawling economic and other partnerships with China.

sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)