US President Trump, after meeting Chinese President Xi,gave an interview to the Wall Street Journal. And in just a few sentences, he again revealed his tenuous grasp of international affairs
Subordinate yet independent
So, was Korea a part of China? Although we are not sure if Xi told him so, Trump’s statement has sparked anger among Koreans, says the Washington Post. Though Korea has been historically intertwined with China, it has never been under China’s direct control. Xi could’ve referred to the system that existed from roughly the seventh to the 19th century—with exceptions—when Korea paid “tributes” to China. But still Korea was in an independent position
Attempts to rewrite history
There were only two points in history when Korea came close to being absorbed into China, but it never happened. About 10 yrs ago, China even sought to rewrite the history of its influence in Korea. It gave up after a controversy erupted
Gone in 10 mins?
Also, are Trump’s views so malleable that they can change in just 10 minutes? “Trump came to a profound realization about one of the most dangerous conflicts on earth after a 10-minute conversation. And he is getting this information ... from the leader of America’s largest rival in the region,” Zack Beauchamp wrote in Vox