Worried China seeks Russian help to avert conflict
CHINA has sought to enlist Russia’s help to cool tensions over North Korea amid fears among Beijing’s leaders that hostilities between the United States and Pyongyang are imminent.
Wang Yi, the Chinese foreign minister, made the appeal in a phone conversation with Sergey Lavrov, his Russian counterpart, after telling reporters that conflict could break out “at any moment”.
A statement on China’s foreign ministry website said Mr Wang told the Russian diplomat: “China is ready to coordinate closely with Russia to help cool down as soon as possible the situation on the peninsula and encourage the parties concerned to resume dialogue.”
The comments were in relation to the six-party talks, exchanges which centred on concerns over North Korea’s weapons programme which began in 2003 but stalled in 2009 when North Korea walked out. South Korea, Japan, Russia, China and the US were the other countries involved.
Beijing has pleaded with Pyongyang and Washington to find a peaceful solution to tensions which have escalated sharply amid fears that it would carry out its sixth nuclear test since 2006. Meanwhile, the North reportedly attempted to fire another missile last night.
Mr Wang said a conflict could break out “at any moment” as he urged both sides to pull back from an “irreversible and unmanageable stage”.
Details of his phone call to Mr Lavrov came as Chinese state media warned yesterday that Donald Trump would bring “more danger than security” to the world by unleashing US military firepower to solve crises.
The influential newspaper said Mr Trump “may go down in history as the ‘war president’” after Washington’s recent missile strike against the Syrian regime, and the US dropping the biggest ever non-nuclear bomb to be used on an Isil tunnel in Afghanistan.
Mr Trump has “demonstrated a certain level of obsession and pride toward US military prowess”, said the tabloid, which has close links to the ruling Communist Party.
“North Korea must have felt the shock wave travelling all the way from Afghanistan,” it added.
“It would be nice if the bomb could frighten Pyongyang but its actual impact may just be the opposite.”
Pyongyang’s “logic”, the newspaper said, is that the regime would suffer the same fate as Saddam Hussein or Muammar Gaddafi if it fails to obtain weapons which could respond effectively to its enemies’ firepower.
“The ‘Mother of All Bombs’ may once again misguide Pyongyang, leading it to believe that it is crucial to upgrade its explosives,” the
editorial said. “The US seems to enjoy a privilege to do whatever it likes. To the world, this could bring more danger than security.” Mr Trump has been urging China to do more to confront North Korea over its build-up of nuclear power, warning that the US will act unilaterally if Beijing was not willing to help.
The US president tweeted: “If China decides to help, that would be great. If not, we will solve the problem without them!”
Analysts believe that Mr Trump is sending a message to China – not North Korea – with his confrontational language towards Pyongyang and his show of force with the aircraft carrier strike group.
The US president is not seeking to become embroiled in hostilities with Kim Jong-un’s regime, but to “harden” China’s position towards the reclusive state by unnerving Beijing into reining in its wayward neighbour, they say.
John Delury, a senior fellow of the centre on US-China Relations and professor of international studies at Yonsei University, in Seoul, South Korea, warned that Mr Trump’s “bluff ” could backfire.
“His coy allusions to a military ‘solution’ appear to be a bluff designed to harden Beijing’s position against their ally in Pyongyang,” he said.
“Such hardening, however, usually proves cosmetic, if not illusory.”
Prof Delury said Beijing is seeking a diplomatic solution, rather than the “endless tightening of sanctions, or, as Trump seems wont to do, dangle the threat of war”.
He warned: “Kim Jong-un can be expected to continue his country’s progress toward a robust nuclear deterrent until such point as he sees another path that better serves his self-interests”.
Fumio Kishida, the Japanese foreign minister, told reporters in Tokyo that Japan needs to remain on alert and pointed out that Pyongyang may use other upcoming events to demonstrate its growing military might. Mr Kishida said Japan needed “to be fully prepared to take various measures”, adding that the government is coordinating with the embassy in South Korea and other Japanese organisations and has contingency plans in place.
The ministry of education has issued warnings to schools for Japanese nationals in South Korea, and told management to monitor developments. A similar warning has been issued for Japanese nationals visiting or living in South Korea.
“Honestly, I’m very worried about the situation because if it came to war, then no one on the Korean peninsula would win”, said Chung Hyon-suk, a Korean living in Japan with relatives in both North and South Korea.
“I do not think things have been this bad since 1994”, said Mrs Chung, referring to the crisis triggered when North Korea refused to permit inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency to inspect a plutonium facility at Yongbyon.
“As we have seen time and time again, pressure and threats do not work at all with North Korea,” she said. “It is part of the Korean national character to never give in to pressure and Mr Kim has his pride to protect.”