Beijing's
Message to America, Japan, and the Koreas (People's Daily, People's Republic of
China)
Can a new war
on the Korean Peninsula be prevented? According to this column from China's
state-run People's Daily, hope for peace remains, as long as the parties
concerned follow these words of advice directed at each of the other parties
to the North Korea crisis: America, Japan, and North and South Korea.
During a phone call on April 6, Chinese Foreign Minister
Wang Yi expressed grave concern to U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon over the tense situation on the Korean Peninsula,
and said Beijing "will not allow troublemaking on China's doorstep."
With these eye-opening words ringing in their ears, the
public is particularly interested in what specifically these remarks refer to. The
answer to this question is in the eye of the beholder. But in light of the rising
tensions on the Korea Peninsula, safeguarding peace and stability in the region
and taking the lead in addressing these issues is in China's national interests:
To North Korea: don't
misjudge the situation
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea has many reasons
to strengthen its arsenal and technology. It has legitimate concerns about its national
security, but there is no justification for violating relevant resolutions of
the U.N. Security Council by engaging in the testing of nuclear or ballistic
missile technology. It cannot shirk its responsibility for raising tensions on
the peninsula since last year.
The DPRK has its own national
circumstances, political needs, policy options and style of political language,
which is North Korea's internal affair, and the outside world has no right to
interfere with it. But when its choice and words intensifies tensions and
affects peace and stability in the region, it becomes an international concern.
The development of the trends on the the peninsula will not necessarily go
according to the ideas and expectations of the DPRK.
To the United States:
do pour fuel on the fire
Even if a U.N. Security Council resolution on the Korean
Peninsula was passed, and although the United States has legitimate concerns about
nuclear non-proliferation and security, unilateral American sanctions against North
Korea that go beyond U.N. resolutions would be counterproductive. Sanctions are
not a "silver bullet."
For decades, U.S. sanctions, pressure on and isolation of
the DPRK have been a root cause of conflict on the
peninsula. Since the 1990s, successive U.S. administrations has swung between
engagement and isolation of the country, creating doubts among North Koreans of
America's sincerity, and giving the DPRK excuses to
violate agreements.
The United States, a superpower with far-reaching national
and military strength that far outstrips the DPRK's,
is in the dominant position. Therefore, any large show of strength only
increases tensions.
To South Korea: don't
lose your focus
With South and North Korea confronting one another across a
demilitarized zone, even beneath America's security "umbrella," South
Korean security remains fragile. Because of geography location and the status
of military deployments, the biggest victim if any conflict that break out on
the peninsula would be South Korea.
The north and south of the peninsula have had a period of
increased contacts and exchanges, and South Korea's new government has
repeatedly expressed a willingness to adopt a North Korea policy that differes from that of the Lee Myung-bak
government.
As one of the key parties to the dispute on the Korean Peninsula,
South Korea should play the role of calming tensions, rather than being pushed along
or reacting to either the DPRK or United States.
To Japan: don't fish
in troubled waters
Every time North Korea test-fires a satellite or missile,
Japan with great fanfare deploys so-called "interception"
capabilities. This is largely the Japanese taking the opportunity to reconfigure and boost its
arsenal.
Posted By Worldmeets.US
During the course of the Six-Party Talks, Japan at times proved
to be a "drag" on the process by getting stuck on particular issues.
This short-sighted strategy and use of the North Korea "threat" as a
tool for developing its own weaponry and alter its security posture only served
to complicate in the situation in the region.
War and chaos on the Korean Peninsula serves no party's
interests. Difficulties triggered by a war will impact regional peace and
stability, endanger regional cooperation and win-win situations, and will come
to nothing for the touble-causing party.
Although the situation on the peninsula hasn't reached the
point of exploding, it has damaged regional peace and stability. The prevention
of troublemaking on China's doorstep means ending the vicious cycle of tension
on the peninsula; preventing any party from stirring up trouble; opposing the intentional
creation of tension; and saying no to the use of force for resolving the issue.
Any word or deed that intensifies tension on the Korean Peninsula must be
condemned and opposed.
Forbidding troublemaking on China's doorstep does not amount
to a China version of the "Monroe Doctrine."
China doesn't seek spheres of influence, but it intends to maintain peace and
stability on the Peninsula and in the region. Based on the merits, it will determine
its own position and actions in accordance with the situation on the peninsula.
Right now, the maintenance of peace and stability on the peninsula is not
without hope.
Right now, it is imperative that all parties show calm and
restrain, and as soon as possible, move to ease tensions and create the
conditions under which real change in the situation can take place.
