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| Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se, right, shakes hands with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Seoul, Wednesday. Blinken urged China to "show leadership" in international efforts to sanction Pyongyang following its fourth nuclear test. / Yonhap |
By Yi Whan-woo
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged China, Wednesday, to impose trade sanctions on North Korea in response to Pyongyang's latest nuclear test.
"We believe China has a special role to play given the special relationship it has with North Korea," he told reporters following meetings with Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam in Seoul. Blinken also met Defense Minister Han Min-koo.
"It has more influence and more leverage over North Korea than any other country because virtually all of North Korea's trade goes to and through China," he said. "So we are looking to China to show leadership on this issue."
Without elaborating, Blinken said he and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will discuss China's role when they meet relevant authorities there for the U.N.'s "strong and comprehensive resolution" against North Korea.
"I will just say everything is on the table starting in New York (at the U.N.), but also looking at this independently and in partnership with other countries," he said.
Blinken left for China later Wednesday and is scheduled to meet Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui before heading home Thursday. Kerry will visit Beijing on Jan. 27.
It is speculated that the U.S. wants China to reduce or cut its trade with North Korea for purportedly testing its first hydrogen bomb on Jan. 6, although Blinken did not elaborate.
Facing international isolation, Pyongyang heavily relies on China for its trade, including imports of crude oil.
Blinken's trip to Seoul came after a joint call from Seoul, Washington and Tokyo for Beijing's "constructive role" in imposing tougher sanctions on the Kim Jong-un regime while bolstering the trilateral security alliance.
China was seen largely reluctant to impose economic sanctions in line with international demands due to concerns over a possible collapse of the Kim regime and an influx of millions of refugees.
The reclusive state claimed to have tested its first hydrogen bomb on Jan. 6, in violation of a string of existing U.N. sanctions. It was Pyongyang's fourth nuclear test following those in 2006, 2009 and 2013.
The latest test re-ignited debate over the possible deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) advanced U.S. missile defense system, on the Korean Peninsula, despite China's protest.
Blinken said the U.S. had still not made any decision about THAAD. "We have been very clear that we will only proceed with THAAD on full consultation with our Korean partner," he said.
During a meeting with Yun, Blinken said the two allies shared common ground that the "the great source of instability is North Korea" in the region.
Citing President Park Geun-hye's warning to the Kim regime, Yun said: "This is the time to exercise our capability to let North Korea understand they have to pay a heavy price for their wrong behavior."
Lim, who spoke with Blinken and Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Akitaka Saiki in Tokyo, Saturday, underscored a need to bolster the Seoul-Washington alliance.
Before his visit to the foreign ministry, Blinken and Han discussed joint military reaction to North Korea's four nuclear tests, which Han assessed as "a grave threat" to the peninsula and the international community.
Blinken said South Korea and the U.S. will face challenges from North Korea "in total solidarity" and that a strong response is critical.
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