Long-term perspective needed

The Korean Peninsula is in the spotlight again after the Democratic People's Republic of Korea announced in mid-March that it planned to launch a satellite.

The DRPK's announcement that its plan to launch the Kwangmyongsong-3 satellite in mid-April to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of its founder Kim Il-sung, came less than three weeks after the DPRK agreed to suspend nuclear tests, long-range missile launches and uranium enrichment activities in return for the United States providing it with 240,000 tons of nutritional assistance. Pyongyang insists that the satellite launch is its legitimate right and does not violate its agreement with the US.

The US has warned that the launch jeopardizes the assistance plan, and Japan and the Republic of Korea are preparing to shoot it down. China has also expressed deep concern over the issue. The peninsula seems to be facing a new round of tensions.

On March 26, President Hu Jintao had a meeting with US President Barack Obama on the sidelines of the second Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul, a day after Obama urged China to use its leverage to persuade the DPRK to halt its nuclear and satellite launch tests.

Hu stressed that China is concerned about the situation and he appealed to all parties to remain calm and take a long-term perspective and exercise restraint. He said maintaining peace and stability on the Peninsula is in the common interests of all parties and a peaceful solution should be found through diplomatic channels. He expressed the hope that the US and the DPRK would continue their dialogue and said China is willing to maintain close communication and coordination with all the relevant parties and will play a constructive role in safeguarding regional peace and stability.

In fact, China and the US are in agreement about denuclearization of the Peninsula and reunification of the two Koreas, they just differ on how they should be achieved. China advocates peaceful reunification of the peninsula, and opposes any non-peaceful means.

The crux of the issue lies in the security anxiety of the DPRK.

Pyongyang believes it needs a nuclear deterrent in order to protect its national security and to make up for its weaknesses in economic strength and conventional weapons compared with the ROK, and especially because the US continues to provide a nuclear umbrella for the ROK and station troops on the Korean Peninsula.

Meanwhile, the US has been aggravating the DPRK's concerns by staging military exercises with its allies and building up its alliance system in Northeast Asia.

But neither the US or China, nor Russia and Japan - the other parties aside from the two Koreas involved in the Six-Party Talks - wants to be involved in turmoil on the peninsula and a denuclearization of the peninsula is in line with the interests of everyone.

While meeting with the ROK President Lee Myung-bak on March 26, President Hu said, "The situation is very complicated and sensitive. We do not want to see a reversal of the hard-won momentum in relaxing tension on the peninsula. China is ready to work with other parties and continue to make active efforts to maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula."

This is China's core policy to solve the peninsular issue.

Unrest on the Korean Peninsula is not in line with China's interests as it has an adverse influence on the security of China's northeastern border areas and affects China's economic cooperation with this region. Furthermore, some regional powers' efforts to use the excuse of the DPRK's nuclear issue to develop their military strength, and the US' use of DPRK's nuclear program as a pretext for a greater military presence in the region is a threat to China's national security and interests.

Continued tensions on the peninsula are not conducive to regional stability.

Besides calling on the DPRK to pursue peace, all parties should exercise restraint and help the DPRK to integrate into the international community, which might create a opportunities for the resumption of the Six-Party Talks to solve the peninsula's nuclear issue.

The author is a researcher with the China Centre for Public Policy Studies at Fudan University.

(China Daily 04/11/2012 page9)