TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — China’s top diplomat has weighed in on the diplomatic spat between his country and South Korea over Taiwan, after the South Korean president said China challenging the status quo was the reason for growing regional tensions.

China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang (秦剛) said on Friday (April 21) the comments made by S Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol on Wednesday were dangerous. "Recently there has been absurd rhetoric accusing China of upending the status quo, disrupting peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," Qin said, per Reuters.

China recently held military exercises around Taiwan in response to President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) transit through the U.S. during a world tour during which she met with the country’s House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Qin appears to be doubling down on the diplomatic war of words. China’s ambassador to South Korea was summoned to his host country’s foreign ministry on Thursday after China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the country “did not need to be told what or should be done” in response to Yoon’s comments, per the Financial Times.

Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Taiwan News that it welcomes and affirms Yoon's comments, and that South Korea and Taiwan are both "important members of the democratic camp" in the Indo-Pacific. "Taiwan is willing to cooperate closely with like-minded countries," it said.

Yoon has sent mixed signals on his approach to China relations in the past, campaigning on increasing U.S. missile deployments to the country, but declining to meet with then U.S. Speaker Nancy Pelosi in Seoul following her controversial visit to Taiwan. Given China is South Korea’s biggest trade partner, increasingly tense relations with North Korea, and a stated interest in maintaining a rules and norms based international order, South Korea has many competing regional interests to deal with as tensions mount over Taiwan.