US wrong to resort to long-arm jurisdiction

The United States on Tuesday slapped fresh sanctions on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and three Chinese companies were blacklisted as part of what US Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin called the US’ “maximum pressure campaign” to isolate Pyongyang. China keeps getting caught in the crosshairs of this campaign. This is the third time this year that Chinese companies and individuals have fallen victim to US sanctions against the DPRK. Heather Nauert, a US State Department spokeswoman, said she did not think targeting more Chinese companies would affect Beijing’s cooperation on the DPRK issue — “We have a good relationship with China. That’s not going to change.”

However, as China’s Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday, resorting to long-arm jurisdiction based on its own domestic laws and regulations is the wrong method for forging effective cooperation.

China aims to strictly implement the UN Security Council resolutions, and the US should share any intelligence it might have of Chinese individuals or companies violating them so that China can investigate for itself any contravention of its international obligations.

Talking is the right way to guarantee a good relationship. And, as Beijing has repeatedly said, Washington and Pyongyang need to start talking if lasting stability is to be secured.

Washington may feel the need to continuously increase its pressure on Pyongyang given the latter’s repeated missile and nuclear weapons testing, not least to demonstrate to the US public it is doing something, especially because the sanctions imposed by the UN will take time to have the desired effect. But while doubling up on first its military threats and now its sanctions, Washington should keep in mind its aim should be getting Pyongyang to talk.

It should also bear in mind that Beijing and Washington are in the same boat, and that good momentum has been achieved recently.

In the latest developments, bilateral ties between China and the Republic of Korea have improved rapidly since they decided to properly handle their differences over the deployment of a US antimissile system in the ROK. The ROK’s Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha is on an official visit to Beijing this week.

While on Tuesday, the Kremlin announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin had exchanged views on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue with US President Donald Trump in a phone conversation.

These are just the latest efforts in the intensive diplomacy that the various stakeholders are engaged in. Diplomacy that should drive home the message they share the political will to secure a peaceful and lasting resolution to the issue. All the stakeholders need to continue to walk in same direction, as they have seemed to be doing recently.

With the DPRK’s ruling party also expressing the wish to strengthen inter-party exchanges with China, which suggests it wants to keep the door open, now is not the time for the US to step back from cooperation.