In a dangerous neighborhood, China is the closest thing to an ally that the isolated, impoverished North Korea has had. It shares a huge border and provides the bulk of North Korea’s food and fuel, so China may be in the best position of any nation to offer the right mix of deterrents and rewards to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons.
This week, with North Korea supposedly ready to detonate a second nuclear bomb, China took a welcome diplomatic step to pressure the defiant nation to its senses.
Reports out of Beijing said a Chinese envoy met Wednesday with North Korean president Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang and delivered a message from Chinese President Hu Jintao. Foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao offered no details of the message conveyed by State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan but noted that “this is a very significant visit.” The New York Times reported that China is prepared to take a tougher line, reducing oil shipments, among other things.
China needs to let North Korea know that its course is unacceptable, and appears ready to go beyond tough talk. North Korea has been defiant in the face of world condemnation in the past and needs to be dealt with firmly.
North Korea must be returned to the negotiating table, and China, along with other nations, must enforce new sanctions to make that happen. South Korea and Russia are among the nations that have ramped up diplomacy in recent days.
North Korea has been condemned by the world’s major powers for testing a nuclear device on Oct. 9. The United Nations Security Council agreed last weekend to watered-down sanctions to punish North Korea for testing a nuclear weapon. China took some initial steps in the days following, but has been reluctant to enforce a key sanction that calls for international cargo inspections that could prevent nuclear and military equipment from reaching or departing North Korea.
Besides the danger that North Korea might develop a weapon and use it against another nation, the greater fear is that it will sell the technology and materials to a terrorist organization like al-Qaeda.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited Japan, South Korea and China this week in an effort to help stabilize a region rife with tension as the United States and other members of the U.N. Security Council prepare to deal with Iran and its nuclear program in coming days.
North Korea poses a chilling dilemma, and China’s efforts are key to any solution.
