China Mediating Between U.S., North

As the U.S. and Japan are firm in their stance for strong sanctions against North Korea after North Korea conducted its nuclear test, China, which has been on the other side with Russia, now is trying to mediate between two camps, advocating for a reasonable level of sanctions and dispatching high-level special envoys to the U.S. and Russia.

The U.S. administration on October 11 local time announced that it will seek close cooperation with other countries participating in the six-party talks except North Korea to address the current problem of the North’s nuke test.

R. Nicholas Burns, Under Secretary for Political Affairs of the State Department, on the same day said in a speech at the Council on Foreign Relations, “Conflicts between South Korea and Japan and China and Japan, an obstacle so far to solving the problem of North Korea, are now assuaged after the North’s nuclear test, giving the U.S. a chance to strengthen its strategic stance in Asia.”

He also made clear a principle of sanctions first, multilateral negotiation later, saying, “Although President Bush is continuing to emphasize a diplomatic resolution of the North Korea’s nuclear problem through the six-party talks, things have changed because of North Korea’s nuke test and now it’s time for the UN Security Council to consider putting sanctions against North Korea.”

For its part, the Japanese government on October 12 began reviewing laws regarding contingencies so as to find out whether Tokyo can back up its naval inspection on North Korean vessels with its navy under the UN resolution.

For Japan’s Self Defense Forces to be allowed to assist the U.S. forces in the rear with transportation, supplying fuel and water, search and rescue, a conflict or emergency should be recognized as an ‘regional emergency’ that will have critical implications on peace and safety of Japan under contingency law.

Earlier, Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on October 11 at the House of Councilors’ Budget Committee, “If North Korea develops nuclear weapons, it will face a serious situation for its regime survival.”

Song Il Ho, North Korea’s envoy for relations normalization between North Korea and Japan, told Kyodo news agency in Pyongyang on October 12 that if Tokyo imposes additional sanctions against it, North Korea will come up with necessary countermeasure without fail.

He also said that North Korea is keeping a close watch on words and action of Abe.

Meanwhile, China’s foreign minister Tang Jiaxuan visited Washington as a special envoy for President Hu Jintao to discuss measures responding to the North’s nuke test with the U.S. senior officials. Later he is going to visit Russia.

It is expected that Tang will try to bridging the difference with the U.S. as Beijing announced it is for putting sanctions against North Korea but the level must not be too harsh.

Yet, a forecast from the U.S. is noteworthy that a serious crack in the North Korea-China alliance will force China to invoke sanctions on its traditional ally.

Kurt Campbell, senior vice president of Center for Strategic and International Studies, made a forecast in a seminar in Washington, saying, “Within a matter of days or weeks, we might see oil pipelines and ships from China to North Korea mysteriously not working and food delivery disrupted.”