Nuclear dangers in the Asia-Pacific region

When it comes to nuclecovered both Koreas. Russia withthe desired result. For the US, it is ance in the ar threats in the Asiadrew its umbrella over the DPRK hard to accept the DPRK, let alone a region as well Pacific region, China after the end of the Cold War. The nuclear-armed DPRK. The DPRK, as the stratefaces the most dauntUS did not, although it withdrew all on its part, is convinced that only by gic stability ing nuclear environment. The the tactical nuclear weapons from developing nuclear weapons can it between Chinuclear problem that China faces is the peninsula. The change in the deter the US from overthrowing the na and the not only confined to the Democratic US.powerbalanceandlabelingoftheexistingpoliticalorder. People’s Republic of Korea’s nuclearT DPRK as one of the “rogue states” So the US and the DPRK hold the he growprogram, but also includes the and “state sponsors of terrorism” key to resolving the issue. ing probabilideployment of other strategic offenthat form an “axis of evil” instilled Second, China is a major stakety of military sive and defensive capabilities that in Pyongyang a deep sense of inseholder in the security of the peninconflicts is a could damage the strategic stability curity, which in turn made it believe sula. Nuclearization in any form is threat to Chiamong major nuclear-weapon that only nuclear weapons can guardetrimental to China’s national na’s security states. antee its national security. interests. The DPRK’s nuclear proand economy. Besides, Pyongyang’s

As far as the Korean Peninsula The international community, gram and its nuclear tests pose a nuclear program is in violation of nuclear issue is concerned, three including China, has made great threat to China. And the peninsula several UN Security Council resolupoints are very important. First, the efforts to persuade the DPRK to nuclear issue has prompted the US tions and the nuclear nonproliferapeninsula faced a nuclear problem abandon its nuclear program, and and its allies to adjust their military tion treaty. even before the DPRK developed its some initial efforts were successful. deployment in Northeast Asia, And third, China was not, is not nuclear capability. During the Cold But in the end, due to the deep-rootexpand their joint military drills, and will not be, a bystander in the War, the “nuclear umbrellas” of the ed hostilities between the DPRK deploy ballistic missile defense syspeninsula nuclear issue. It has devotSoviet Union and the United States and the US those efforts didn’t yield tems, and disrupt the military bal- ed itself to resolving the issue as a stakeholder. From 2003 to 2007, China made concerted efforts to push forward the negotiation process, first through the three-party talks and then the Six-Party Talks. The latter produced the September 19 Joint Statement in 2005, which set a “road map” for the DPRK’s comprehensive denuclearization and the peace process on the peninsula.

Recently, China proposed a “suspension-for-suspension” mechanism, which calls for Pyongyang to suspend its nuclear program and Washington and Seoul to suspend their massive military drills. This could bring the two key players (the US and the DPRK) back to the negotiating table, and thus start the “dual-track” process which China had proposed earlier, that is, parallel progress in denuclearization and establishment of a peace mechanism on the peninsula.

The “suspension for suspension” proposal serves the near-term goal of reducing tensions on the peninsula, while the “dual-track approach” will pave the road for denuclearization by initiating the peace process.

Thus China has provided a framework for addressing the issue and is open to suggestions from all sides, as long as they are conducive to restarting the negotiations, achieving the goal of denuclearization and maintaining peace and stability on the peninsula.

The author is a retired major general and director emeritus of the Center on China-America Defense Relations, Academy of Military Science, PLA.