China unlikely to play constructive role in resolving N. Korea's threats

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong, left, meets North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui in Pyongyang, Friday, in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency, Saturday. Yonhap

China is either unwilling or unable to play a constructive role in addressing North Korea's nuclear threats despite repeated calls from the international community. This observation comes in the wake of the latest appeal made during a recent meeting between the top security official of the United States and China's top diplomat.

Beijing sees little reason to respond to Washington's request, especially considering the ongoing bilateral tensions surrounding the Taiwan issue, experts said. Moreover, it appears that China lacks practical measures to exert influence on North Korea.

U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Bangkok, Thailand, from Friday to Saturday. The two officials discussed a wide range of bilateral and global issues, including North Korea, the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and the South China Sea.

"The two sides did discuss DPRK," a senior U.S. official said during a teleconference held after the meeting. DPRK stands for Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name.

"We are deeply concerned about the growing relationship between Russia and the DPRK and what that might mean for Mr. Kim’s (Kim Jong-un) intentions. We raised those concerns directly with China, given their influence on Pyongyang," the official said.

North Korea has escalated military provocations recently, with Russia as its main backer. This has prompted growing concerns within South Korea and the U.S., leading some American pundits to contemplate the possibility of another war breaking out on the Korean Peninsula.

But China, which maintains friendly ties with North Korea, has remained silent about Pyongyang's growing military threats.

"Sullivan's mention of North Korean issues to Wang shows that the Joe Biden administration needs China's help to prevent North Korea from crossing the red line, at least until the presidential election in November. But Beijing is unwilling to cooperate given the U.S.' unchanged stance regarding the Taiwan Strait, issue," said Lee Sang-man, a China expert at the Institute of Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University.

Following the meeting with Sullivan, China's top diplomat described Taiwan independence as "the biggest challenge" to Sino-U.S. ties and warned Washington not to interfere in issues concerning the island.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, shakes hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during a summit in Pyongyang, June 21, 2019, in this photo released by North Korean state media Korean Central News Agency. Yonhap

"Taiwan issues aside, there are few reasons for Beijing to discuss sensitive matters with Pyongyang, as doing so would potentially strain currently warm bilateral relations," Lee said.

The two neighbors have recently been engaging in high-level diplomatic talks, which some observers view as a build-up for Chinese President Xi Jinping's potential visit to Pyongyang, or the North Korean leader's trip to Beijing later this year, which marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

According to the North's state mouthpiece Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Saturday, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong visited Pyongyang and met with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui the previous day.

Cho Han-bum, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification, a think tank, analyzed that China does not possess practical measures to exert influence on North Korea.

"One might assume that China and North Korea's relations follow a superior-subordinate structure, with Pyongyang dependent on Beijing. However, that is not the case. North Korea positions itself as a independent nation in bilateral diplomatic talks," he said.

Cho also commented that Kim Jong-un, similar to his predecessors, does not heed advice from outsiders, be it from China or Russia, when making strategic decisions regarding nuclear arsenals.

"Although China is unhappy with the heightened security risks arising from North Korea's nuclear threats, it is reluctant to play an active role, as doing so may jeopardize relations with Pyongyang, one of Beijing's few remaining friends in the Asian region," the researcher explained, pointing out China's strained relations with other Asian nations such as the Philippines, India and Japan.