Wandering China

Wikileaks manages to shed some light on the contingency plans in case the two Koreas situation gets out of hand. An unstable Korea will surely disrupt East Asian stability, and that in turn will affect the intertwining global production networks. What can be deduced from this report is that China does not necessarily side with North Korea, their commitment is not to a faction, but to regional stability.

China’s objectives were “to ensure they [North Korean leaders] honour their commitments on non-proliferation, maintain stability, and ‘don’t drive [Kim Jong-il] mad’.”

- – -

Wikileaks cables reveal China ‘ready to abandon North Korea’
Leaked dispatches show Beijing is frustrated with military actions of ‘spoiled child’ and increasingly favours reunified Korea
by Simon Tisdall
Source – Guardian, published November 29, 2010

China has signalled its readiness to accept Korean reunification and is privately distancing itself from the North Korean regime, according to leaked US embassy cables that reveal senior Beijing figures regard their official ally as a “spoiled child”.

News of the Chinese shift comes at a crucial juncture after the North’s artillery bombardment of a South Korean island last week that killed four people and led both sides to threaten war. China has refused to condemn the North Korean action. But today Beijing appeared to bow to US pressure to help bring about a diplomatic solution, calling for “emergency consultations” and inviting a senior North Korean official to Beijing.

China is sharply critical of US pressure tactics towards North Korea and wants a resumption of the six-party nuclear disarmament talks. But the Guardian can reveal Beijing’s frustration with Pyongyang has grown since its missile and nuclear tests last year, worries about the economic impact of regional instability, and fears that the death of the dictator, Kim Jong-il, could spark a succession struggle. Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Beijing Consensus, Guardian, Influence, International Relations, North Korea, Politics, Public Diplomacy, South Korea, Wikileaks