By Yi Whan-woo
China is maintaining a dubious stance on the assassination of Kim Jong-nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, in Malaysia last week while international criticism is mounting against Pyongyang.
The Chinese government has only said that Beijing is “closely watching” the situation without commenting on a possible link between the murder and the North Korean leader.
Beijing is keeping mum about allegations that Kim Jong-nam and his family had been under its protection in Macau.
Its major state-run media outlets, such as China Central Television and Xinhua News Agency, have not reported in detail about the progress of an investigation by Malaysian police, including a North Korean diplomat who is being treated as a suspect.
This is in contrast to the reactions seen from the Chinese social media and other online communities, where the users have been expressing anger toward the brutality of the North Korean leader and his tyranny.
Analysts said Thursday that the Chinese government’s stance is seen as a bid to not disrupt its ties with North Korea, and at the same maintain its leverage over the internationally-isolated state to better cope with the Beijing-Washington rivalry in the region.
They claimed that China has been overlooking North Korea’s military provocations and inhumane acts, such as nuclear and ballistic missile programs and the execution of Kim Jong-un’s uncle Jang Song-thaek in December 2013.
“Beijing finds it burdensome that admitting its protection of Kim Jong-nam will complicate its relations with Pyongyang although he was killed outside China,” said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies. “Beijing apparently does not want to find itself in the center of the dispute and thus gain international attention.”
Kim Han-kwon, a professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, echoed a similar view.
“For China, its biggest interest concerning North Korea is to ensure Pyongyang will remain a buffer zone in its rivalry with the U.S.” he said. “The Beijing-Pyongyang relation will change only if there is a change in the Beijing-Washington rivalry.”
The experts, however, speculated China will be in a dilemma over whether to cooperate with Malaysia in having the Malaysian police officers visit Macau to obtain a DNA sample from Kim Jong-nam’s son, Kim Han-sol.
Kim Jong-nam’s family members are believed to be afraid of flying to Malaysia to verify the murder victim’s identity.
North Korea has been denying that the victim was Kim Jong-nam and that the dead body should be sent back to Pyongyang right away.
It is likely to protest to China if the DNA verification is completed and the victim’s identify is confirmed.
“It will be a tough call for China to make,” Yang said.
Citing China’s efforts to strengthen its ties with Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries, Kim Han-kwon said, “Beijing may not want to ruin its efforts by not cooperating with the DNA verification process.”
“Also, Beijing will not want to prevent such a process and give room for the Donald Trump administration to step up its rhetoric against China for not pressing North Korea hard enough,” he added.