Secretary of State John Kerry and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi agreed Wednesday on the need for a new United Nations resolution on North Korea following its recent nuclear weapons test.
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North Korea is expected to dominate the talks between Kerry with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and other senior officials, as the global community seeks to squeeze Pyongyang with fresh sanctions following its latest nuclear test on January 6.
Differences between Kerry and Wang were visible in their expressions. But the more that the USA and China focus on the New Great Game, the more likely it is that North Korea will remain isolated and even increase its level of isolation.
But Mr Wang said while China agreed on pushing for a new United Nations resolution, “our position will not be swayed by specific events or the temporary mood of the moment”. As the USA competes with China over hegemony in the South China Sea, it appears to be trying to use expanded trade as a way to shake up the pro-China bloc in Southeast Asia.
A draft of new sanctions was sent to China about 10 days ago, but by the time Kerry arrived in Beijing, China had not responded in substance, USA officials said. “We can not accept the allegation that China’s words are not being matched by actions”.
Simmering tensions in the South China Sea also topped the agenda, with Mr Wang defending accusations that Beijing has militarised the resource-rich waters. “It would cause China to lose all flexibility in handling North Korea and would turn it to a permanently hostile state sitting on the Chinese border”.
“There is zero chance that Beijing would agree to the [US] proposal”, said Shi Yinhong, an global relations professor at Renmin University.
“The fact that despite China’s friendly overtures to the DPRK, Kim Jong Un turned around and did the thing that he knew the Chinese most objected to–a nuclear test–certainly tells me that that message hasn’t yet gotten through”, the official said.
Wang said China’s activities in the region, which have elicited unease from the US and its allies, should not be construed as militarization.
Kerry and Wang also discussed China’s island-building and construction of military installations in the South China Sea.
Kerry has said the nuclear test demonstrated that China’s approach hadn’t worked, and “we can not continue business as usual”. “So we found important common grounds”, he said.
The Chinese government has repeatedly called on all related parties to solve any maritime dispute through negotiations, and earnestly implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.
China regularly calls for calm in the region, and for the resumption of the long-stalled six-party talks, which bring together the two Koreas, China, the United States, Russia and Japan. By now, such actions by the USA and China have become routine.
The idea of holding “five-party talks” was first suggested in 2006 by South Korean President Lee Myung Bak and U.S. President George W. Bush, but was opposed then by China and Russian Federation.
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China asserts ownership over virtually the entire area, putting it at odds with regional neighbours the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.
