China Daily Global Edition (USA)
President says China hopes talks on peninsula denuclearization succeed
China looks forward to the success of the top leaders’ meeting and bilateral dialogue between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the United States, President Xi Jinping said.
Beijing hopes substantial progress will be made toward denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula and normalizing their relations, Xi said when meeting on Monday with Chung Eui-yong, special envoy and top national security adviser for Republic of Korea President Moon Jae-in.
Chung visited Pyongyang and Washington last week and announced in the US capital on Thursday that US President Donald Trump would meet DPRK top leader Kim Jong-un by May to achieve permanent denuclearization.
China appreciates Moon’s dispatching Chung to China to provide a briefing on Chung’s visits to the DPRK and the US and his effort to promote DPRK-US dialogue, Xi said.
Chung, who leads the National Security Office of the Blue House, said positive changes have taken place in the peninsula’s situation and China has played an important, navigating role.
The envoy noted that China always has upheld the goal of denuclearizing the peninsula as well as the peaceful settlement of the DPRK nuclear issue, and it supports direct US-DPRK dialogue.
China has supported the major step taken in ROK-DPRK ties, which has led to the positive developments on the penOfficers insula issue, Chung added.
The ROK expressed its sincere appreciation to China, Chung said.
During Monday’s meeting, Xi said as long as all parties involved stay focused on the fundamental aim — the peninsula’s denuclearization, peace and stability — the ice will melt and warmth will return to the peninsula.
There is now an important opportunity for easing tension and promoting dialogue, and China has spoken positively of the efforts made by the ROK, Xi said.
China is willing to continue to work with the international community, including the ROK, communicate with all concerned parties and promote the political settlement of the peninsula issue through China’s dual-track approach and conducive suggestions from all sides, Xi said.
Also, the parties involved should be patient and careful, give full play to their political wisdom and properly deal with and eliminate problems and disturbances in the process of restarting dialogue, Xi added.
China has always supported both sides of the peninsula in improving their relations and promoting reconciliation and cooperation, and has supported contacts and dialogue between the US and the DPRK and their consultations for addressing each others’ concerns, Xi said. Achieving peninsula denuclearization and preventing war or turmoil there comprise China’s consistent position, he said.
Seoul hopes Beijing continues playing an important role. The ROK is willing to closely coordinate with Beijing to maintain the current momentum and promote peaceful settlement of the DPRK nuclear issue, Chung said.
Expectations that a face-to-face meeting between United States President Donald Trump and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea leader Kim Jongun will put an abrupt end to the impasse on the Korean Peninsula will likely prove premature. But it is a necessary step in the required direction. Trump has received criticism at home for accepting Kim’s invitation, which is to be expected. But he deserves praise for giving it a go. At least it is better than him trading insults with Kim. And he is certainly upbeat, and confident he can accomplish what was impossible for past US administrations. There is good reason for him to feel that way, since US-DPRK relations have deteriorated to such a degree that any slight thaw in relations between the two is welcome.
Especially since Pyongyang saw the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics as an opportunity to warm relations with Seoul and the two have rapidly melted the long-standing chill on the Korean Peninsula.
Yet even if the meeting between Trump and Kim does go ahead, what happens next will probably be protracted haggling. After all, Pyongyang will not give up its nuclear weapons for nothing. Kim is likely to raise Pyongyang’s desire for a peace treaty, along with establishing diplomatic relations, while Washington will not recognize the long hostile regime in Pyongyang without denuclearization.
But that is precisely what Beijing, whose active support and contribution to fostering the talks was praised by Republic of Korea national security director Chung Eui-yong who is visiting China to brief Beijing on the recent inter-Korean talks, has persistently urged both Pyongyang and Washington to discuss directly.
No wonder it sees the latest development as being “in the right direction”, and as President Xi Jinping told Chung on Monday, it will continue to facilitate such engagement.
Xi urged all parties to be patient and use their political wisdom to address and resolve their problems.
Certainly the anxiety and discord that had previously found expression in the rancorous exchanges of outrage and insults between Trump and Kim need to be put on the back burner if any positive outcome is to materialize from a meeting between the two leaders.
Since all stakeholders say they seek a political solution to the longstanding security threat, this is a precious opportunity that should not be wasted.