China Rejects Kerry's North Korea Pleas

by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright April 13, 2013
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       Secretary of State John Kerry found out the hard way that China is willing to rock the boat only so much to contain North Korea’s 30-year-old dictator Kim Jong-Un.  Since the late President Richard M. Nixon and his Secretary of State Henry Kissinger opened up Mao Zedong’s Communist China to trade in 1972, U.S. companies have had a field day producing cheap consumer goods.  While the growing business relationship has thrived, periodic complaints about human rights abuses have been swept under the carpet.  When the Red Chinese tanks ran over pro-Democracy protesters June3-4, 1989 in the Tiananmen Square massacre, the world was treated to the sad reality of Communist China:  Total disregard for freedom of speech and human rights.  When a U.S. spy plane was forced down April 1, 2001 on China’s Hainan Island, the U.S. found out how far U.S.-Sino relations had gone.

             Holding 24 Americans hostage for 11 days and dismantling a U.S. spy plane and returning the parts a year later, former President George W. Bush found out the tenuous relationship with Communist China after nearly 30 years of diplomacy and open trade.  Meeting in Beijing with Chinese officials today, Kerry hoped China would do more to contain North Korea from threatening the U.S. and South Korea with nuclear war.  “We are able, the United States and China, to underscore our joint commitment to the denculearization of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner,” Kerry told reporters with China’s chief diplomat State Councillor Yang Jiechi at his side.  Nuclear disarmament of North Korea was the last thing on Kerry’s mind.  He wanted China to tell North Korea to tone down the nuclear threats and blackmail against the United States and South Korea.

             Traveling to China, Kerry hoped to have China exert its leverage to contain growing threats made by North Korea against the United States and South Korea.  China signaled March 7 its displeasure with North Korea’s latest nuclear test, voting stricter sanctions against North Korea’s nuclear program.  Instead of acknowledging Kim Jong-Un’s inappropriate threats, Jinechi admonished all sides to tone down the rhetoric.  “We maintain that the issue should be handled and resolved peacefully through dialogue and consultation. To properly address the Korea nuclear issue serve the common interests of all parties.  It is also the shared responsibility of all parties,” essentially equating blame on all sides.  China’;s rebuff of U.S. and South Korea’s concerns shows the true nature of U.S.-Sino relations.  Whether admitted to or not, there’s little common ground between the United States and China.

             Keeping things copasetic with China, Kerry refrained from highlighting any separation between the two sides.  In reality, China doesn’t want the U.S. through its ally South Korea to assert more power on the Korean Peninsula.   With South Korea’s patience wearing thin, its 61-year-old first female president Park Geun-Hye promised any North Korean aggressions would be met decisive force.  South Korea didn’t retaliate against the late President Kim Jong-Il’s torpedo attack on the ROK’s Cheonan March 29, 2010, killing 46 sailors.  China took no official position on the unprovoked attack.  China’s official Xinhua news agency blamed Washington for “fanning the flames,” engaging in joint military exercises with South Korea.  Kerry hoped China would take the U.S. side, when, in reality, it’s not that far removed from Mao Zedong’s Cold War propaganda war with the West.

            Instead of taking the U.S. side, Beijing recalls the U.S. rubbing Tiananamen Square in China’s face.  China tries to take a balanced approach but in the end supports its communist ally.  If push came to shove, and the U.S. was forced to back South Korean retaliating against naked North Korean aggression, China would back down.  Beijing has no intent of defending North Korea like they did during the Korean War [1950-53].  “I keeps sending more fighters, bombers and missile defense ships to the waters of East Asia and carrying out massive military drills with Asian allies in a dramatic display of preemptive power,” Xinhua said in an editorial blaming the U.S. for provoking North Korea.  Chinese Premier Li Keqjang told Kerry that both sides should tamp down the rhetoric.

             Beijing’s message to Kerry was to stop the military provocation in China’s backyard.  “All Sides must bear responsibility for maintaining regional peace and stability and be responsible for the consequences,” Xinhua State Television, holding the U.S. equally to blame.  If Kim threatened Beijing with nuclear war, Keqang would sing a different tune.  Unable to step into an impartial leadership role, China’s communist ties to North Korea prevent it from seeing the problem.  “Disturbances on the peninsula and regionally will harm the interests of all sides, which is like lifting a rock only to drop it on one’s foot,” said Chinese President Xi Jinping, while North Korea continues the threats.  “If the enemies dare provoke [North Korea] while going reckless, it will immediately blow them up with an annihilating strike with the use of power nuclear means,” said China’s Workers Party.        

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news.  He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com.and author of Dodging the Bullet and Operation Charisma.