‘ Double suspension’ best option
China’s proposal to tackle N. Korea problem well received
Chinese experts said China’s proposal to resolve the Korean Peninsula issue serves the best interests of the countries involved, after US President Donald Trump stressed China’s role.
Trump said during an interview with CBS News on Sunday that he believes Chinese President Xi Jinping, whom he “has gotten to like and respect,” has been putting pressure on Kim Jong- un, adding that he believes he and Xi won’t be happy if Kim conducts a nuclear test.
“The Xi- Trump summit in April led to a deeper understanding between China and the US of each other’s stance on the Korean Peninsula and confirmed that the two had the same goal of denucleariza- tion of the peninsula,” Ni Feng, deputy director of the Institute of American Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times.
However, Trump might have been passing on greater responsibility to China in solving the issue, Da Zhigang, director of the Institute of Northeast Asian Studies at the Heilongjiang Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Monday.
China has repeatedly stressed that the key to solving the nuclear issue on the peninsula does not lie in its hands.
Trump’s interview came after North Korea launched a ballistic missile, which exploded seconds after taking off, on Saturday morning. The test came as the UN Security Council held a special meeting on the North Korean nuclear issue.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday at the UN Security Council meeting that efforts on non- proliferation and to promote peace talks have to be strengthened to bring the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula to a peaceful settlement, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
On how to solve the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, Wang said China has already proposed a “two- track approach,” namely to make parallel progress on the two tracks of denuclearization and the establishment of a peace mechanism on the peninsula.
China’s proposal of resolving the issue through peaceful dialogue and negotiations has been backed by other countries, including the US, Russia and the UK.
“The Russian Federation supports China’s proposal for a ‘ double suspension’ ( the suspension of Pyongyang’s missile and nuclear tests in exchange for the suspension of US- South Korean military drills near North Korea) as a starting point for negotiations,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said Saturday, according to Xinhua.
Da said that solving the issue militarily could damage the security of nearby countries. Therefore, China’s stance on resolving it through diplomatic means could meet the interests of many parties and is more acceptable. “But any solution to the Korean Peninsula issue requires compromises from all sides,” Da added.