ABSTRACT
The Koreans have lived in the shadow of China which has waxed and waned over the centuries. China-Korea relations have always rested on the concept of suzerainty, even if an entirely informal one where China has been the suzerain. Thus, Korea was a tributary state of China until 1910 when it was colonized by Japan and became a tributary to Japan. The Korean policy before the Japanese conquest was driven by the 'sadae' philosophy, or the policy of 'Serving the Great'. In around three decades China's economy has turned from a closed one to the world's second largest economy, and this economic transformation has been epochal. Similarly, the South Korean economy has also undergone a major economic transformation over the last six decades. With China's rise as a global power and its growing influence in the region, both South Korea and China stand to gain immensely from the strengthening of their ties.
