Complicated Issue

The nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula has been long-standing, it had cropped up in the 90s of the last century. Later, through Korean-US negotiations that lasted for one and a half years, a compromise was finally reached in October 1994, resulting in the signing of a framework agreement between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States. After the Bush administration came to power, it reexamined the Clinton administration's policy toward Korea. Early last year, in his State of the Union Message Bush designated Korea as one of the three "axis of evil" countries, according to media revelation, in its internal report, the US Defense Department defined Korea as one of the target countries on which the United States could launch "preemptive" nuclear attack. Korea was shocked at the news and immediately it openly and severely condemned the United States. Between October 3-5, Kelly, the envoy of the US government, i.e., head of the US Delegation participating in the tripartite talks, and assistant secretary of state who is in charge of Asia-Pacific affairs, visited Pyongyang. Subsequent reports disclosed that during the talks Kelly censured Korea for failing to perform the Korea-US framework agreement and had been consistently carrying out nuclear development of highly enriched uranium, and demanded Korea to immediately stop nuclear development. The Korean side indicated that it has the right to possess nuclear weapons and even more powerful weapons. It called for solving the problem through direct negotiation with the United States. The United States made public this matter in a dozen days after Kelly returned home, this caused a public outcry among the world opinions and led to a second outbreak of the Koran nuclear issue after an interval of 10 years.

For more than half a year afterwards, both Korea and the United States took a series of actions, thus gradually escalating the situation. The situation of the Korean Peninsula centering around the nuclear problem suddenly became intense. For a while, Russia, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Indonesia, Australia and the United Nations and organizations sent out special envoys to visit Pyongyang, hoping to get some direct information about Korea's thinking, and set forward their plans and ideas for solutions in an attempt to ease contradictions and the tense situation.

US President George W. Bush and State Secretary Colin Powell have time and again openly made known their attitudes, demanding that Korea first give up nuclear development, and then it would conduct dialogs with Korea, saying that the United States was willing to seek peaceful solution to the question. The US side also concretely put forward its "5+5" proposal (the five UN Security Council permanent member countries plus the DPRK, the ROK, Japan, Australia and the EU. The Korean side categorically rejected the proposal.

Wise Decision

As its neighboring country, any sign of disturbance in the Korean Peninsula would directly affect China's national interests, so it is hard for China to remain indifferent to the major issue concerning the Korean Peninsula. China has from the very beginning actively got involved in and exert influence on this event, changing its method used in handling other affairs, known as striking only after being attacked. Judged from the current situation already disclosed, in the early period of its involvement, the Chinese side mainly passed on messages between the United States and Korea, playing the role as a bridge linking up the two sides.

According to a ROK media report, China sent ranking officials in March to pay a special trip to Korea, putting forward to the Korean side its proposal concerning talks. Perhaps this is the inception of the tripartite Beijing talks.

The Chinese government's dispatch of ranking officials to pay a special visit to Korea is undoubtedly a decision made by the top leaders of China. The reason for this is self-evident. First, no matter whether Korea really develops nuclear weapons or plays a nuclear card, the United States, Japan and the ROK will adopt countermeasures. This will inevitably exacerbate the tense situation in the Korean Peninsula and directly affect peace and stability in China's surrounding areas. Second, China and the DPRK have time-honored relations. China paid greater attention to its neighboring countries after the 16th CPC National Congress. China has defined its diplomatic policy of taking its neighbors as partners and friends. With regard to the affairs of Korea, its important traditional neighbor, whether from the subjective or objective point of view, China will not and cannot sit idly by. Third, the international community has strongly appealed to China to play its roles.

With regard to the just concluded Beijing talks, world opinions generally hold that representatives of Korea and the United States sat at the negotiating table for the first time in Beijing half a year after the outbreak of the nuclear problem, this, in itself, is a terrific achievement of China's diplomacy. China took the lead in accomplishing this great event which is very favorable to various parties, a matter which many countries had wanted to do but failed, this demonstrates China's unique role and advantageous position in the affairs of the Korean Peninsula. It is the unanimous view of world mainstream media that the Beijing talks have relaxed the tense atmosphere that has prevailed for sometime in the Korean Peninsula, it is a good beginning for the peaceful solution of the Korean nuclear issue.

Proper Planning

The start up of Beijing talks has experienced twists and turns. First, on April 6, the Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson issued a statement in response to the Security Council's announcement that the Security Council would discuss the Korean nuclear problem, declaring that Korea would not accept any resolutions passed by the Security Council. In the same statement, Korea also indicated that one lesson to be drawn from the Iraq War is that only by possessing "physical containment capabilities" and absolutely superior military containment capability capable of repulsing any sophisticated weapons attacks, is it possible to stop war and defend national security. If the Security Council played into the hands of the US policy of hostility toward Korea, Korea would bear no responsibility for damaged dialog efforts and the seriously intensified situation, and would be forced to mobilize all potentials to possess the ability to curb war.

Then on April 12, the Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson switched the topic of conversation, indicating that if the United States intends to boldly change its policy toward Korea for solving the nuclear issue, then Korea will not stick to the form of dialogs. The key to solving the problem lies in the real intention of the United States. World media gave extensive reports on this, prominently publicized that Korea does not care about the form of talks. Some media organizations claimed that this move of Korea indicated that it was frightened by the Iraq War, This actually gives Korea a new irritation.

Finally on April 18, the Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced that the DPRK-US talks designed to solve the nuke issue would soon be held in Beijing. The Iraq War showed that only with "powerful physical containment capabilities" is it possible to stop war and defend national security. Korea has successfully made after-treatment of 8,000 corroding fuel rods (notes: in line with the 1994 Korean-US framework agreement, the Korean side should seal up these corroding fuel rods for safekeeping. Conducting after-treatment makes it possible to extract plutonium capable of producing two to four nuclear weapons), and in early March Korea had notified the United States about this. Each action taken by the Korean side would attract the great attention and strong reaction of the US side, especially military personages. If Korea and the United States kept on mutually raising things to a higher plane of principle, the Peninsular situation would deteriorate rapidly, not to say that convocation of Beijing talks would be impossible.

But the talks did have been held in Beijing, and it seemed that it had gone on fairly well, besides the reason that both sides had the intention to exercise restraint and cherished expectations of starting the Beijing talks, it seems there is the need to find out other reasons from the third party-the Chinese side. It is disclosed that on the evening of April 18, the Chinese Foreign Ministry summoned the Korean and US ambassadors to China for an urgent meeting, persuading the two countries to send delegations to participate in the Beijing talks on schedule, thus rescuing the Beijing talks.

As to the concrete situation, it is still unknown, but analyzed from the results of the talks, the Chinese government has made great determination to promote a peaceful solution of the Korean nuke problem, at the same time, Chinese diplomats' work to make peace and promote talks should be regarded as very fruitful. It is said that participating in the Beijing talks this time is Fu Ying, director of the Asian Department of the Foreign Ministry who is head of the Chinese Delegation, participating in and guiding the talks on the front and back stages were also Vice-Foreign Minister Wang Yi and the newly appointed Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing. It can be said that they are the key personages who have done concrete work in planning and organizing the talks.

Task Heavy and Road Ahead Long

A summary of the foreign ministry spokesman's talks and reports of foreign news agencies shows the main agenda of the three-day Beijing talks is roughly as follows: The talks opened on April 23 on the fifth floor of the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, two rounds of talks were conducted among the three parties of China, Korea and the United States in the morning and the afternoon. At the meetings, each side made an all-round explanation of their respective stands and propositions on the Korean nuke issue, they all expressed their desires and plans for solving the issue by peaceful means. It is reported that the Chinese side made a comprehensive and systematic exposition of its viewpoint, and stressed that nuclear weapons should not appear in the Korean Peninsula, and that Korea's security concern should be resolved. That evening, Vice-foreign Minister Wang Yi gave a banquet in honor of the three delegations. That same evening, Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing specially had a phone conversation with his US counterpart Colin Powell concerning the talks. On April 24, the Chinese Delegation conducted several rounds of small-scale meetings with Korean and US delegations and had in-depth discussions on matters of concern to them and carried out mediation work in various forms. On the morning of April 25, a short but significant closing ceremony on the Beijing talks was held on the 12th floor of the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and Vice-minister Wang Yi had cordial talks with the heads of the three delegations. Li said the Beijing talks represented a good beginning, it received the attention and welcome from the international community. I hope that the various parties would continue their efforts for the peaceful solution of the Korean nuclear issue. Heads of the three delegations smilingly held each other's hands together. Heads of the Korean and US delegations shook hands in farewell, both sides expressed their thanks for the Chinese side for its arrangement and organization of the talks.

World opinions originally did not place too high expectations of the talks and did not count on major breakthroughs to be made at the meeting. That the Beijing talks had come to such an extent is quite good. The Korean nuclear problem is very complicated and sensitive, there are many speculations and concerns worldwide about whether Korea has possessed nuclear weapons. Just as Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing said, the Beijing talks "represents a good beginning", and it is only the first step taken in the arduous Long March toward the solution of this issue. But human effort is the decisive factor, so long as various parties concerned exhibit their sincerity, proceed from long-term interests, persist in solving the problem by peaceful means, I believe a win-win program can definitely be found out, which can serve to maintain peace and stability of the Peninsula and finally ensure that the Peninsula is nuclear-free.

On the evening of April 26, President Hu Jintao had a telephone conversation with US President Bush. The two leaders had an exchange of opinions on the Korean nuclear issue. Bush thanked the Chinese side for the active efforts it had made for the Beijing talks and indicated that he agreed to continue this process, solving the Korean nuclear issue through diplomatic channels. Hu Jintao indicated that the Beijing talks has made a good beginning for peacefully solving the Korean nuclear issue, the Chinese side will continue to exert its effort for promoting the peaceful solution of the Korean nuclear problem.

(People’s Daily April 30, 2003)