Bilateral relations between China and South Korea are on the brink of collapsing as Seoul has started leaning on the the United States for support to protect itself from Pyongyang's unrestrained belligerent actions, specifically its recent missile test and rocket launch.

South Korea is said to be 'frustrated' with China's non-committal stance following North Korea's series of provocations. As a result, President Park Geun-hye has pushed for the US to deploy of the THAAD ( terminal high altitude area defense) system on its territory, but China strongly opposes the move.

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Political analysts say Seoul-Beijing ties, which has withstood the test of time, are facing a different and more vulnerable crisis at this juncture and succeeding events point to the rapid deterioration of relations between the two nations.

                                                        Strategic partnership

The two countries have formed a strategic partnership over the years, but recent events have turned the relationship sour. The ongoing talks between Seoul and Washington over the THAAD deployment has particularly been a divisive issue.

Experts say China may use its position as South Korea's number one trading partner as a leverage for Seoul to abandon its talks with Washington over the missile system deployment.

"For some time, China will slam South Korea and the United States for a possible THAAD deployment because it has steadily opposed the anti-missile defense system," said Park Won-gon, an international relations professor at Handong University.

                                                      Economic retaliations            

Last week, China urged Seoul to withdraw its plan after the Park government announced that it will hold negotiations with Washington about the US Forces Korea's (USFK) deployment of THAAD batteries on its territory.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi  reiterated to his Seoul's counterpart Yun-Byung-se at a forum in Munich on Thursday that the deployment will only serve to destabilize peace and stability in the region and that it will be detrimental to China's key security interests.

South Korean political analysts say as China continues to protest against Seoul's talks with Washington, Beijing is already thinking about  its series of  'economic retaliations' against the nation, such as what happened during the 'garlic trade dispute' in 2000.

                                                     'Garlic trade dispute'

During the 'garlic trade dispute', Seoul imposed a 315 percent tariff on cheap Chinese garlic to protect its farmers.

China, angered by Seoul's action, retaliated by banning shipments of mobile phones and electronic gadgets from the South.

Seoul caved in to the pressure and later cut the tariff to 30 percent and agreed to import 32,000 tons of Chinese garlic.

                                                       Divided

Economists are divided on the issue of economic retaliation. One camp believes that the sluggish Chinese economy will prevent Beijing from taking that route.

"The two nations have close economic ties, so economic retaliation may also affect its own economy negatively," one analyst said.

The two nations, meanwhile, will try to salvage their sour relations when their respective vice ministers meet in Seoul this week.

According to the South Korean Foreign Ministry, First Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam will meet with his Chinese counterpart Zhang Yesui in the 7th Korea-China Strategic Dialogue.

TagsSeoul, Beijing, THAAD, garlic trade dispute, Washington, Beijing-Seoul ties