China envoy in South Korea warns of ‘wrong bets’ over Sino-U.S. rivalry

SEOUL, June 9 (Reuters) – South Korea might be making “wrong bets” in the Sino-U.S. rivalry, the Chinese ambassador in Seoul said, urging Seoul to stop “decoupling” from China and restore economic and diplomatic ties. Xing Haiming made the remarks during a meeting late Thursday with Lee Jae-myung, head of South Korea’s main opposition party, which has criticised President Yoon Suk Yeol for pursuing lopsided diplomacy toward the U.S. alliance at the expense of relations with China, its top trading partner. Xing blamed Seoul for creating “difficulties” for bilateral ties by failing to respect Beijing’s core interests, including Taiwan, while…