US should shoulder its responsibility for NK nuclear issue instead of blaming China
Washington and Tokyo have ramped up pressure on China to do more on curbing Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile weaponry after the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea ( DPRK) test- fired a newly developed intercontinental ballistic missile last week.
Accusing China of not living up to its responsibility in efforts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula is totally groundless. The US, while pointing fingers at others, should realize it cannot escape its own duty for stabilizing the situation.
For whatever reason, the US and Japan have reignited the “China responsibility theory” for their failure on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, but refused to fulfill their duties to negotiate a peaceful resolution.
As Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang noted on Tuesday, the core of this issue is the conflicts between the DPRK and the US and it is in essence an issue of security. China does not hold the keys to the issue.
China is neither the focus of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue nor the one that escalates the tension, Geng said in response to US and Japan’s repeated call for China to exert more leverage on the DPRK.
China has as always been playing a constructive role in seeking a solution and has done its share to promote peace talks and support nuclear non- proliferation as a responsible country.
Beijing has proposed a dual- track approach of advancing denuclearization and establishing a peace mechanism in parallel, which meets both the ultimate goal of denuclearizing the peninsula and the security needs of Pyongyang.
Meanwhile, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China is carrying out the Security Council’s resolutions in a comprehensive and complete manner.
However, while China is busy talking the stakeholders into sitting down and returning to negotiations, the Trump administration in contrast announced all options are on the table, military included, offsetting endeavors to pursue a peaceful solution.
Last month, the DPRK again brought up the possibility of holding bilateral talks with Washington, saying it would agree to a temporary stop of its nuclear tests if the US and South Korea suspend their annual joint military exercises, which Pyongyang has seen as a rehearsal for an invasion.
Similar to Pyongyang’s offer, China has also advocated a “double suspension,” which requires Pyongyang to suspend its missile and nuclear tests in exchange for the halt to US- South Korean military drills.
Although Washington has said it is not seeking the subversion of the DPRK and expressed interest in a peaceful solution to the issue through dialogue, concrete steps are needed to turn the words into policy and action.
It is at least worth a try to resume the peace talks as sanctions and pressure alone obviously failed.
Keeping mounting pressure without any engagement would be dangerous. If the true wish is sustained regional stability, all should understand each other’s concerns, pool their wisdom and bring this issue back to the track of dialogue as soon as possible.
Shunning responsibilities of their own and diverting attention to others is not helping remedy the situation, if not worsening it. It is time to stop confusing public opinion and join coordinated efforts toward the common end.