President Park Geun-hye will visit Russia and China next month, amid backlash from the two countries over South Korea and the US’ decision to station the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system on the peninsula.

After her visit to Vladivostok for the Eastern Economic Forum from Sept. 2-3, Park is scheduled to participate in the G-20 summit, slated for Sept. 4-5 in Hangzhou.

A summit between South Korea and Russia has been arranged and it remains to be seen whether Park will be able to hold bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G-20 gathering.

Aside from the multilateral goals of the forum and the summit, these gatherings hold great importance for Seoul in terms of offering a timely chance to persuade Putin and Xi of the necessity of the THAAD deployment.

Seoul has been pushing joint infrastructure development projects involving railway construction with Moscow, while Beijing is Seoul‘s biggest trade partner. Not to mention, any geopolitical, diplomatic dispute could harm business ties with the two superpowers.

Park and her aides should be thoroughly prepared for the coming visits. They should show sincerity in their diplomacy and utilize all necessary channels to clinch a summit with the Chinese leader.

China and Russia have reportedly submitted a statement to the UN opposing the deployment of the defense battery in South Korea.

Recently, the Global Times, a Chinese news daily under the wing of the People’s Daily, said that the joint decision by Seoul and Washington to place THAAD on the peninsula would pose a new challenge to the Northeast Asian region.

It also argued that China’s participation in global efforts to resolve the North’s nuclear issue has caused a worsening in its ties with Pyongyang, adding that it would be a stab in the back if THAAD is deployed as it could pose a direct threat to China’s security.

The news outlet also said the THAAD scheme has broken the United Nations Security Council’s united front against the North’s nuclear and missile provocations.

Park should reiterate during the September gatherings that the UNSC members’ concerted sanctions on Pyongyang will continue and even grow stronger, irrespective of the THAAD deployment.

Seoul should try its best to minimize the possibility that China could enforce trade barriers to hold back South Korean exporters. For example, it may target local manufacturers, especially those involved in steel production, in an anti-dumping crackdown. The free trade agreement’s stipulations on anti-dumping and trade remedies remain ambiguous.

Beijing’s antitrust regulator could also proactively act against price-fixing or cartels among Korean firms, even without any substantial evidence. Another target might be Korean commercial banks operating there.

The two gatherings will test the Park administration’s capabilities in the diplomatic, political and economic sectors.