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China’s negotiation tactics

Posted November. 15, 2017 08:56,   

Updated November. 15, 2017 09:20

한국어

Retired Taiwanese strategic professor Lin Chong-pin has introduced major negotiation tactics of the Chinese Communist Party in his book “Theories and Practices of Chinese Communist Party’s Negotiations.” The tactics have included utilizing human psychology, distorting facts and using united front tactics. In Chinese opera, actors are ordered to express human mentality by singing and dancing rather than simply doing martial arts. “Negotiations (as well as battles) are a tool of revolutions,” said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, one of the 10 founding contributors of China. He also said negotiations are oral martial arts.

All negotiations have hidden tactics before and after, according to negotiation tactics of the Communist Party of China. Negotiators should threaten the opponent in a resolute manner, exclude unfavorable agenda from the negotiation, avoid responsibilities by using ambiguous words, arbitrarily interpret the result and utilize troubles of the opponent as much as possible. The Nationalist Party had agreed to collaborate with the Communist Party of China twice, which expelled it to Taiwan despite its military dominance.

Kwon Byeong-hyeon, former Korean ambassador to China who negotiated with China to establish diplomatic relations in 1992, said that Taiwan, blood alliance between North Korea and China and denuclearization of North Korea were the most difficult issues during the negotiation. Back then, South Korea emphasized its solid relations with the Nationalist Party formed during the armed struggle against Japanese imperialism, but China demanded the Korean government to break off diplomatic relations with Taiwan and went through with its demand. China agreed to sever the blood alliance with North Korea and cooperate to denuclearize North Korea, which still remains unfinished until now, 25 years after establishing the diplomatic ties. This is because China has been avoiding its responsibilities discussed in the negotiation.

According to China’s state news agency Xinhua, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said at a Monday meeting with Korean President Moon Jae-in that China and South Korea reached some consensus in dealing with the issue of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) in the current stage. He was also quoted as saying he hopes Korea will try and eliminate obstacles of Korea-China relations. This was quite different from the Cheong Wa Dae briefing that announced, “Past issues were discussed, but not THAAD.” China might be using post-negotiation tactics. If any hidden agreement has ever made in the meeting, the Korean government should seek the public’s understanding.