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By APD Writer Wang Peng
On Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said at a regular news briefing that the crux of the Korean nuclear issue rests on the conflicts between the DPRK and the U.S and it is in essence a security issue.
The Chinese side is neither the focus of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue nor the catalyzer of escalating tensions at present, nor hold the key to solving the issue.
In recent days, some people have been exaggerating and playing up the so-called "China responsibility" theory.
These people either fail to grasp the issue comprehensively and accurately, or done this out of ulterior motives with an attempt to shirk responsibility.
Geng’s remarks are in response to questions about “the US, Japan and other countries have called on China to fully use its leverage, assume heavier responsibility, play a bigger role, take more measures and exert greater pressure on the DPRK in order to solve the Korean nuclear issue.”
To understand Geng’s words and the policy meaning of China, we have to review the changing background over the recent years.
It is quite clear that along with the constant nuclear and ballistic missiles tests since Kim Jong Un came to power, as well as the consequent increasing threat sent by Pyongyang’s nuclear ambition, China began to impose increasing stricter sanctions under the UN’s resolutions, especially after the fourth test of DPRK and the Xi-Trump meeting on April 6 this year.
Seemingly, Trump was satisfied with Chinese efforts in stopping Kim from the further nuclear program and its cooperation of peninsular denuclearization in substantive terms with USA in this issue.
We have witnessed many times that Trump played his Twitter to highly praise China’s efforts.
However, three months have passed since the Mar-a-Lago meeting. The Chinese people are sorry to see that all Trump’s praises, compliments, and affirmations are just twittered for “fun”.
His appreciations and thanks to the diplomatic self-sacrifice and strategic risk-taking that paid by Chinese government are only cheap “lip service”.
More sadly, Chinese leaders and people did not see any sincere or valid commitment about the THAAD system when Trump met Moon Jae-in last week, which damages China’s core interests of national security.
What is more, the United States said on Tuesday it shot down a simulated, incoming intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) similar to the ones being developed by countries like DPRK in a new test of the nation's THAAD missile defenses.
Undoubtedly, US conduct is heightening the tensions in Northeast Asia and China’s security concerns.
Acknowledging all these complicated background may help the international society understand why Chinese spokesperson criticized some states’ behaviors by using parallel structures and rhetorical questions so angrily, “If when China is busy putting out a fire while someone pours fuel on it, when China is faithfully following through on Security Council's resolutions while someone attempts to infringe upon China's legitimate rights and interests, and when China is working vigorously to advance the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula while someone seeks excuse to endanger China's security interests, then how can China's efforts work out as expected? How can the situation be eased? And how can the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue be resolved?”
Now, it is time to say goodbye to the useless and redundant word “China responsibility” theory on the Korean Peninsula issue and as Geng stressed, all relevant parties should play their due role, assume their due responsibility and join China in the efforts to bring the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue back to the right track of peaceful solution through dialogue and negotiation at an early date.
Dr. Wang Peng, Research Fellow at the Charhar Institute and Lecturer at the China Institute of Fudan University.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
