Seoul faces Beijing wrath over US missile system plan

Pressure in China on travel firms forced airlines and cruise operators to cut routes to South Korea, as the fallout spread yesterday from a diplomatic row over Seoul’s plans to deploy a US missile defence system against Beijing’s objections.
China Eastern Airlines Corporation and Spring Airlines Co stopped offering flights on their websites between the eastern Chinese city of Ningbo and popular South Korean tourist island Jeju from next week.
Korea’s Eastar Jet said it was halting flights between the South Korean cities of Cheongju and tourist hotspot Jeju with various Chinese cities including Ningbo, Jinjiang and Harbin.
This followed Carnival Corporation’s Costa Cruises and Royal Caribbean Cruises cutting South Korean visits by their China ships.
Royal Caribbean cited “recent developments regarding the situation in South Korea”. The moves reflect a more aggressive and blatant stance against South Korean business in China, although Beijing has not directly said it is targeting South Korean firms.
An internal South Korean government document said Chinese authorities gave a “7-point” verbal instruction to travel firms to curtail or ban trips to South Korea.
These included a ban on tour groups visiting South Korea from March 15, cruise ships not being allowed to dock in South Korea ports and a warning that those who violated the guidance would face “severe punishment”. Reuters could not immediately reach China’s tourism administration for comment.
China Eastern and Spring Airlines did not respond to requests for comment.
The crackdown has sent a chill across South Korea’s retail and tourism sectors, which rely heavily on China trade, and prompted South Korea to say it will consider filing a complaint against China to the World Trade Organisation.