The board game weiqi Photo: VCG

Commenting on China's participation in the 31st LG Cup World Baduk Championship, the Chinese Weiqi Association (CWA) said on Friday that it aligns with the broader context of cultural exchanges between China and South Korea, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
  
The CWA announced the selection procedures for the Chinese team for this year's world championship on Friday in Beijing. When talking about the decision to send a team for the tournament, an official with CWA told Xinhua that "as a shared cultural bond between China and South Korea, Weiqi can effectively promote cultural exchanges between the two countries.'' 

Exchanges in Weiqi between China and South Korea have a long history and deep roots. Participating in this event is not only a continuation of the traditional friendship, but also in line with the overall development of the sport. It also demonstrates China's openness, inclusiveness, and pragmatic approach to cooperation, said the official. 

Go, a board game, is known as Weiqi in China and Baduk in South Korea. 

During the third game of the 29th LG Cup finals in January 2025, Chinese player Ke Jie was penalized for failing to place a captured stone on the lid of the container. Ke didn't accept the decision and requested a rematch, but was denied, leading to his withdrawal from the match.
 
As the matter was not properly resolved, the CWA, after careful consideration, did not send a team to participate in the 30th world championship, which opened in May 2025.

According to CWA, the South Korea Baduk Association sent an official document to the CWA in February 2025, officially canceling the rule that caused the loss for Ke and removing the controversial penalty regulations for future international competitions hosted by South Korea, CCTV reported. 

Addressing last year's controversy, the CWA official said that "the South Korea Baduk Association has made targeted revisions to the competition rules, demonstrating a genuine willingness and proactive stance in resolving the issue,'' according to Xinhua.
 
"We will maintain close communication and coordination with the South Korean side, and thoroughly clarify the detailed rules, refereeing standards, and implementation procedures to safeguard a fair and just competition environment," the official told Xinhua.

The CWA will provide participating players with specialized pre-competition guidance to help them become familiar with the latest competition rules and officiating details, the official added. 
 
"In addition, we will guide players to align their personal competitive goals with the long-term development of the sport and the mission of upholding national honor. Efforts will also be made to strengthen professional ethics education and foster sportsmanship, ensuring that players remain focused on the game itself and are not affected by external distractions," said the official. 

The official said CWA will further promote the internationalization and standardization of Weiqi in the future, and enhance the global competitiveness of young players.
 
"The association will step up overseas promotion efforts and, within the framework of the International Go Federation, leverage international competition platforms to gradually advance the unification and standardization of Weiqi rules. The Chinese team will use various international tournaments, including the LG Cup, for preparation, selecting and developing outstanding young players. We will improve the talent pipeline system, innovate training methods, strengthen cultural and ideological education, and build diverse exchange platforms, with a focus on cultivating a new generation of leading talents who possess both top-tier competitive strength and a broad international vision," the official said.