By Zhu Feng  

The resurfacing of the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula has revived the heated debate among Chinese people over the attitude to be adopted by China toward the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and its nuclear activities.

History and reality both suggest that appropriate settlement of the nuclear issue on the peninsula is closely related to China's national interests. Given that geopolitical and geo-economic interests are not the only constitutive components of the global political landscape, China should take into account a number of other factors to protect its national interests on the Korean nuclear issue.

These include creating an ideal environment for China's rise as a world power, discharge of its responsibilities, and response to global expectations.

The latest development on the Korean Peninsula is a matter of nuclear proliferation and counter-proliferation. A nuclear DPRK would mean the collapse of nonproliferation institutions framed as early as in the 1970s and the counter-proliferation mechanism consolidated since the end of the Cold War.

Only five powers are accorded legitimate nuclear status and there are rules governing the game. Despite the DPRK's argument that it is not a party to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and justification of its nuclear activities as being for its national security, Pyongyang's latest test still constitutes a gross violation of the non-proliferation regime; and an open threat to regional and global stability.

In its handling of the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, China should be guided by considerations of upholding the dignity and efficacy of international regimes and addressing global concerns for serving China's core interests.

Pyongyang's nuclear moves would endanger the fragile security network in East Asia.

Since the end of the Cold War, the East Asian security situation has undergone changes and adjustments, but within the stable framework of regional security. Cooperation between China and the US and their mutual openness has made the largest contribution to such stability.

However, Pyongyang's moves to reinforce its security through nuclear weapons will overturn the region's long-established security mechanism. It will stall the peninsula's effort to eliminate the vestiges of the Cold War in this part of the world. It will also further worsen regional security owing to a delayed resolution of the nuclear issue.

Moreover, the DPRK's possession of nuclear weapons is likely to have a domino effect on neighboring Japan and the Republic of Korea, making international mediation more difficult.

Given the collective East Asian aspiration for a nuclear-free peninsula, a nuclear-armed DPRK will be viewed as a threat to the region.

As an emerging power, China is obliged to help create a sense of peace and safety in the region as a whole. China's failure to underpin efforts to stabilize the region could hamper its emergence as a global power.

It serves China's core interests to maintain stability in East Asia, consolidate the country's standing in the region, and prevent a nuclear race and new military conflicts in the region.

The DPRK's nuclear maneuvers pose a severe challenge to China's national security. The Chinese government and people have long cherished their traditional friendship with the DPRK. But the friendship should not become an excuse for its connivance with its neighbor's unchecked nuclear activity. In view of the peninsula's bearing on its geopolitical and security interests, China has always factored in its friendship with the DPRK, bilateral economic cooperation and regional security when deciding policy.

However, a raft of moves by Pyongyang - from its long-range missile launch and exit from the Six-Party Talks to conducting nuclear test and renouncing of the 1953 armistice - indicate lack of due regard for its friendship with China.

China remains unwavering in its determination to promote a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula, as President Hu Jintao pointed out. The core issue is the DPRK's development of nuclear capability in defiance of the international community's common aspirations for peace, cooperation and prosperity.

It is the prerogative of the government and people of that country to choose the political and economic model they want. No country has a right to interfere in this regard.

However, it is completely unacceptable if the DPRK strives for security through confrontation and provocative policies in disregard of the neighboring countries' common desire for cooperation, openness and prosperity.

The build-up of tension on the peninsula underscores the urgency for the international community to resume the Six-Party Talks, and promote unity and cooperation within the multilateral framework.

The author is a researcher with the School of International Studies in Peking University.

(China Daily June 12, 2009)