China urges US to ‘shift tactics’ on DPRK
LONDON — A senior Chinese diplomat has called upon the United States to “shift its tactics on Korea”, saying that “the Korean nuclear crisis has escalated so much that it is now threatening world security”.
Fu Ying, a veteran diplomat and now chairwoman of the foreign affairs committee of the National People’s Congress, said in an article published on Thursday by the Daily Telegraph newspaper: “Peace on the Peninsula isn’t possible without settling the nuclear issue, which means the United States and the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) must talk directly.”
The United States and its allies pay more attention to possible restrictions on the DPRK than addressing its security concerns in exchange for abandoning its nuclear program,” she said.
Fu said the US and its allies have imposed unilateral sanctions on the DPRK while setting increasing military pressure on Pyongyang.
“Increasingly tough sanctions have seriously affected the DPRK’s economic needs, but failed to stop its nuclear and missile programs,” she said.
“From China’s perspective, sanctions are necessary, but must be aimed at promoting talks,” she said. “Pressure without talks would lead nowhere.”
China put forward the “suspension for suspension” initiative, under which the DPRK would suspend its nuclear and missile programs, and the US and the Republic of Korea suspend their large-scale military exercises.
“Our hope is to give peace a chance,” she said, “China does not want war, chaos, nuclear pollution or a refugee wave on the Peninsula. No one would emerge as a winner from a war.”
“The United States and its allies need to understand the necessity of compromise, instead of taking a zero-sum approach, only considering their own interests and refusing to give the other side a chance for survival and development,” she added.
Meanwhile, ROK’s presidential Blue House was expected to unveil a plan next week to send a special envoy to the DPRK, Yonhap news agency reported on Friday.
According to unnamed officials quoted by Yonhap, the presidential office could announce the special envoy dispatch plan early next week.
ROK President Moon Jae-in had a phone conversation with US President Donald Trump on Thursday night, telling Trump about his plan to dispatch his special envoy to the DPRK in the near future.
It would be a return visit to Kim Yo-jong, the younger sister of top DPRK leader Kim Jongun, who last month attended the opening ceremony of the 23rd Winter Olympics.
As the DPRK leader’s special envoy, the younger Kim met with Moon and conveyed her brother’s invitation to Moon to visit Pyongyang.
Local media speculation said possible candidates for Moon’s special envoy were Suh Hoon, director of the National Intelligence Service, and Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon.
Suh reportedly made secret contacts with the DPRK to arrange the two inter-Korean summit meetings in 2000 and 2007.
Chung Eui-yong, the top national security adviser for Moon, was also seen as one of the special envoy candidates as he is the highest presidential official in charge of security and foreign affairs.