One of the areas of agreement trumpeted by the US and China after Hu Jintao’s visit to Washington last week was a joint statement that expressed concern over North Korea’s uranium enrichment programmes.
According to the statement:
‘Agreeing on the crucial importance of denuclearization of the Peninsula in order to preserve peace and stability in Northeast Asia, the United States and China reiterated the need for concrete and effective steps to achieve the goal of denuclearization and for full implementation of the other commitments made in the September 19, 2005 Joint Statement of the Six-Party Talks. In this context, the United States and China expressed concern regarding the DPRK’s claimed uranium enrichment program. Both sides oppose all activities inconsistent with the 2005 Joint Statement and relevant international obligations and commitments.’
I’ve mentioned before how I felt China’s approach to Pyongyang risked encouraging North Korean bad behaviour, a theme also picked up by L. Gordon Flake in a guest entry here this month when he suggested that China’s reticence was now more akin to abetting Kim Jong-il’s recklessness.
Well, it’s also apparently a view shared by the International Crisis Group, which launched a report yesterday on China’s role in inter-Korean tensions. The full report (which contains a wealth of useful footnotes for context) can be downloaded here. I recommend taking a look at the whole thing if you have time.
The report notes that ultimately China is undermining not only regional security, but its own security as well through its refusal to take a firmer line over incidents like the sinking of the South Korean corvette the Cheonan last year. It notes, for example, that:
‘Diplomatic shielding of the North, particularly at the UN, has damaged (China’s) international image and weakened its standing as an honest broker in the Six-Party Talks, while encouraging risky conventional and nuclear initiatives by North Korea.’
It also notes that China’s response to the Cheonan and the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island in November has prompted South Korea and Japan to strengthen bilateral ties and also their military alliances with the United States, and to ‘consider expansion of their own missile defence systems, intensifying the risk of a regional arms race.’
Of course China’s more assertive posture over territorial disagreements in the past 12 months has also been a factor in pushing a number of countries in the region closer. But it’s clear that Beijing’s policy toward North Korea really doesn’t seem to be helping anyone—including itself.
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SimonSays
I can expect the reactions. Oh noes! China is the peacekeeper in Korea! South Korea is a ruthless warmonger. South Korea brutally oppresses its own people! North loves its citizens! US is splitting East Asia apart! You is wrong!
mareo2
I can imagine the answer of the PRC’s foreign policy apologists.
SARCASM MODE ON
The PRC’S foreign policy is like China shooting itself in the foot? Again? It can’t be true, is all lies from the biased western media. The state controlled chinese media say that China’s foreign policy is “perfect”, “the CCP never lie or commit a mistake”.South koreans need to be “thankful” that China made possible that the Kim dynasty killed their civilians, a great example of the glorious Pax-Sinica envisioned by the chinese communist party for all Asia.
SARCASM MODE OFF
Ngoa long
The very problem with North Korea’s nuclear issue is China’s unwillingness to help resolve it once and for all! China is the master in the art of manipulating its small neighbors to serve its own national interests!
Back in the cold war, when China suddenly intervened militarily in the Korean conflict (1950-53) to help the North fight back the UN forces, its main purpose was to deny access of the US forces to its border with North Korea! China did not want any hostile forces whose presence next to its border could threaten and do much harm to it. And China was ready to accept any heavy casualties or damage for this! North Korea has become the safe buffer zone for China since then.
The role of North Korea today is not only a China’s buffer state, but also its ‘bargaining chip’ in negotiations with the US for the issue of Taiwan as well as its regional status in the Asia-Pacific. The indulgence and protection of China for North Korea’s recent bellicose and aggressive behavior (towards South Korea and Japan), and insulating it from any International pressures or sanctions regarding its nuclear weapons program, are just for serving China’s self- interest and its national security!
By the same token, in the Vietnam War, China (and USSR) had used NVN as a tool to extend the Communist sphere of influence in South East Asia (against the US and its allies). NVN was also used not only as a ‘buffer zone’ for China, but also as its ‘bargaining chip’ to cut a deal with the US for the withdrawal of the American forces out of SVN in exchange for China’s support against USSR!
In short, artfully using its neighbors (at their expense!!) to serve its own national interests has been China’s ‘long-time norm’, even though this policy could do more harm than good to the whole region!!
NL
jim1980
Jason, I understand your point of view on China’s on Korea with prior blog. Do you have repeat the same opinion again after finding another source that agrees with you? It makes very boring blog reading.
Furthermore, China has very minor role in Korea conflict. President Lee of South Korea and President Kim of North Korea are most responsible for the Korean conflict. Only North Korea and South Korea can solve their conflict, not China nor United States.
Jason
Thank you for your comments. I am of course delighted that you manage to keep bringing yourself back to read my entries despite apparently never being able to find anything positive here.
John Chan
Holy moly, before anybody can put out impartial comments, anti-China bigots are already out there in force covering all grounds denouncing China. Do national integrity and self-determination ring a bell in anybody’s mind? Don’t North and South Korean have their own ideas on how to solve the bickering between their relatives?
Star Trek envisaged that human being will be evolved to higher moral and intellectual standards, we become more understanding and tolerant to differences. Therefore the prime directive in the Star Trek is “Non-Interference.” Although Star Trek is a fiction, but also is the goal that we human being should strive to achieve.
China is carrying out its “Non-Interference” policy out of respecting the dignity and integrity of all nations regardless small or large. Why has the anti-China group to do all they can to prevent China carrying out that noble non-interference ideal?
To reduce the hostility between the Koreas, all they have to do is for S.Korea to resume the sunshine policies established by Lee Myunk-bak’s predecessors, and the US removes all it occupying force out of S.Korea because there is no foreign troop in N.Korea.
Tango
Read history again! After the US WITHDREW its forces from S Korea in 1949, then, on June 25, 1950, N Korean army crossed the 38th parallel to invade the South!!!
John Chan
In fact it was the S.Korea attacked N.Korea first believing that their US weapons could overrun poorly equipped N.Korean easily. Unfortunately the Japanese trained S.Korean troop was no match to the battle harden PLA Korean unit, S.Korea troop collapsed.
So are you legitimizing the foreign troop occupation in Korea? At the same time don’t you have confidence in S.Korean troop, which possesses the best weapons in the world?
Tango
It’s a little bit funny! You folks have been indoctrinated too much by your communist regime!Wake up, please! On June 25, 1950, N Korean army with heavy artillery support and hundred advanced Soviet T34 tanks, crossed the 38th parallel to invade the South!!!
Mike
The neo-Maoist CCP lickspittle strikes again! I’ll bet you’ve never even opened a history text written in English, despite your commanding grasp of the written language. Uncurious minds make fertile soil for doctrinaire idiocy.