The denuclearization of North Korea, a common goal of the international community, was apparently not a topic of discussion at the recent Beijing-Pyongyang summit.
Rather than only use its relationship with North Korea for its own intentions, China must fulfill its role for peace and stability in the region.
Sixty-five years have passed since the two nations signed a treaty of friendship, cooperation and mutual support that pledged military support during war.
According to the announcement by both countries, Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un agreed to expand cooperation in a wide range of areas.
Xi said strengthening the bilateral relationship would aggressively contribute to peace and development in the region and the world, but the statement said nothing about denuclearization.
Facing economic sanctions, North Korea considers China to be its largest supporter, but the relationship has not always been smooth.
The ties cooled for a while when North Korea deepened its military cooperation with Russia after its invasion of Ukraine.
But relations have recently been restored, and Xi’s visit to North Korea follows Kim’s trip to China last September.
North Korea considers its nuclear weapon and ballistic missile development to be the lifeline for maintaining the regime.
The country possesses an estimated 60 nuclear warheads. And in early June, Kim visited a new nuclear materials manufacturing plant.
The threat from North Korea extends beyond East Asia.
In a statement dated June 6, Kim’s influential sister, Kim Yo Jong, a senior official of the Workers’ Party of Korea, said North Korea would never retreat from its status as a nuclear possessing nation.
Russia’s economic support provided in exchange for North Korea supplying ammunition and soldiers opened holes in the economic sanction net that had been in place.
Although Pyongyang has repeatedly launched ballistic missiles in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions, the international community has not found a unified response.
The war in the Middle East has weakened international interest and monitoring of North Korea’s nuclear weapons development.
After the May summit in Beijing between U.S. President Donald Trump and Xi, the U.S. side said the two nations reconfirmed denuclearization of North Korea as a common goal.
But Beijing continues to remain silent on that point.
The statement issued after Xi’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin stated the two nations opposed any threat to North Korea’s safety and made no mention of Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons.
China itself is rapidly increasing its nuclear arsenal.
Beijing cannot be allowed to close its eyes to Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons development for its own short-term benefit, such as for confronting the United States and maintaining its influence over North Korea.
Six-party talks on North Korea’s denuclearization that also involved Japan, the United States, South Korea, China and Russia led to a joint declaration in 2005 when Beijing served as chair.
In exchange for economic support, North Korea pledged to give up its nuclear weapons and nuclear development program.
China should still hold the view that North Korea possessing nuclear weapons is undesirable.
–The Asahi Shimbun, June 10