China's North Korean Tightrope Walk
China is walking through this gingerly, like a man whose pockets are loaded up with fragile eggs. The Foreign Ministry spokesman says China is "resolutely opposed" to the North's nuclear weapons program.
And China has been leading the effort at negotiations primarily through the six party talks: China, Russia, U.S., Japan and South and North Korea.
But North Korea has now walked away from the talks and China is having a hard time finding an answer to this latest saber rattling.
Beijing is trapped by its own insistence — usually directed at the United States — that one country has no right to interfere in the affairs of another. That keeps China from open criticism of the North that might look like interference.
North Korean soldiers march along the border fence on the North Korean side bordering China near Dandong, northeastern China's Liaoning province, May 26, 2009.
And geography is also politics — China and North Korea share a border where goods pass back and forth, mostly Chinese goods into North Korea.
But if there is upheaval in North Korea, the flow will come the other way: tens of thousands of hungry, desperate refugees from the North seeking sanctuary in China.
China's patience is not limitless. Rising tension is bad for business in Asia. And these days, as one of the few economies still growing amid worldwide recession, China is all about business.
For Beijing, as for the rest of the world, the best outcome is that the North's actions are all about Kim Jong Il in some way solidifying his power.
There are some who believe the ailing leader – he reportedly had a stroke last year – wants to install his son as his successor. That would keep North Korea a family-run business. Kim inherited the job when his father died.
If this is some kind of internal North Korean power struggle that means it could be resolved within the regime, and all the bluster about attacking South Korea would fade into memory with all the other defiant statements from years past.
But this is North Korea, where logic does not always apply. That's what makes the country so constantly dangerous — now, as much as ever.
This story was filed by CBS News correspondent Barry Petersen in Beijing.
© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc.. All Rights Reserved. And China has been leading the effort at negotiations primarily through the six party talks: China, Russia, U.S., Japan and South and North Korea.
But North Korea has now walked away from the talks and China is having a hard time finding an answer to this latest saber rattling.
Beijing is trapped by its own insistence — usually directed at the United States — that one country has no right to interfere in the affairs of another. That keeps China from open criticism of the North that might look like interference.
North Korean soldiers march along the border fence on the North Korean side bordering China near Dandong, northeastern China's Liaoning province, May 26, 2009.
(AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
And geography is also politics — China and North Korea share a border where goods pass back and forth, mostly Chinese goods into North Korea.
But if there is upheaval in North Korea, the flow will come the other way: tens of thousands of hungry, desperate refugees from the North seeking sanctuary in China.
China's patience is not limitless. Rising tension is bad for business in Asia. And these days, as one of the few economies still growing amid worldwide recession, China is all about business.
For Beijing, as for the rest of the world, the best outcome is that the North's actions are all about Kim Jong Il in some way solidifying his power.
There are some who believe the ailing leader – he reportedly had a stroke last year – wants to install his son as his successor. That would keep North Korea a family-run business. Kim inherited the job when his father died.
If this is some kind of internal North Korean power struggle that means it could be resolved within the regime, and all the bluster about attacking South Korea would fade into memory with all the other defiant statements from years past.
But this is North Korea, where logic does not always apply. That's what makes the country so constantly dangerous — now, as much as ever.
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It seems that the reason or the answer to N. Korea lastest "saber rattling is cause by the US 's action and threat to that country, If US does not change, the effort of help from China for peace is limited.
Posted by pugster at 9:47 AM : May 27, 2009
So you propose a piece of paper that promises that the US won't attack in exchange for halting North Korea nuke development.
That's funny.
And what happens when (not if), North Korea decides to break that agreement? You'll say that you're really mad and try to get the international community to punish them (like what the UN is trying to do now)? Fat chance; didn't work under the 1993 Agreement, didn't work after North Korea's 2006 nuke test, won't work now.
Insanity is the process of doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.
Or will you want to bomb them for breaking the treaty? Fat chance on doing that to; no American president would approve going into a preemptive war with North Korea with that many artillery guns pointed at Seoul and American Army bases.
The only way for North Korea to abandon its nuclear bomb hopes is UN Resolution 1718 which includes: "Shipments of cargo going to and from North Korea may be stopped and inspected for weapons of mass destruction or associated items."
It's hard for North Korea to make nukes if they don't have the equipment to make them.
Posted by evelynibarra at 12:59 PM : May 27, 2009
North Korean leadership and rationality do not go hand-in-hand. Google KCNA, the official government news agency, and you'll quickly find out that you cannot approach North Korea with logic and reason; you'll just end up giving yourself a headache.
As for Japan, we should announce that we support the rearming of Japan due to the threats of North Korea. If that doesn't cause the Chinese to apply pressure to NK, nothing will...
Posted by presjfk at 3:36 PM : May 27, 2009
I agree, this is in China's back yard and China should take the lead in dealing with North Korea. It's time for China to earn it's new superpower stripes! I also think it's time for Japan to rearm itself to address balance-of-power issues surrounding Japan. The real threat from North Korea is that it will export its nuclear material the same way it exports its missiles. The Russians think this will escalate into a nuclear war and Russia may be right, the U.S. has a nuclear capability now, why should it wait until North Korea gets one that can reach the U.S., it can be Mate in one very quickly for North Korea right now, without delay!
As for Japan, we should announce that we support the rearming of Japan due to the threats of North Korea. If that doesn't cause the Chinese to apply pressure to NK, nothing will...
Then we can bomb those commie pigs back to the stone age and revive our economy in the process.
Maybe Obama will be a good leader after all. I voted for him but have had my worries. If he uses the pimp hand on that toilet called a country he will have regained my respect.
Posted by anti-global at 10:43 AM : May 27, 2009
we should start by kicking the living **** out of your brain.
war mongering idiot.