Shuimo
06-28-2009, 05:33 AM
By Michael Bristow
BBC News, Beijing
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img/999999.gif
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45976000/jpg/_45976777_nkoreaarmy_ap.jpg China went to the aid of North Korea's army in the Korean War
This was supposed to be the year of friendship between China and North Korea, to celebrate 60 years of diplomatic ties.
At a ceremony to launch this special year in Beijing, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said the two nations had a profound friendship.
But North Korea's nuclear and missile tests have shown that these two socialist countries are not as friendly as they once were.
Over the last few months China's attitude towards its ally has hardened, shown by its recent support for sanctions against North Korea.
Willy Lam, of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said this is because China now seriously believes North Korea wants to develop nuclear weapons.
More volatile
"The Chinese used to think that Kim Jong-il was just playing nuclear poker with the Americans, South Korea and Japan," he said.
"But now they think he really does want a nuclear arsenal."
Mr Lam believes Mr Kim is trying to develop these weapons to secure the succession of his third son, Kim Jong-un.
China's position towards North Korea noticeably changed after the North carried out a nuclear test at the end of May.
This seemed to end any hope that the six-party talks - aimed at stopping North Korea's nuclear programmes - would succeed.
Not only did this make the region more volatile, it was also embarrassing for China.
It chairs the six-party talks, and has invested time and effort getting five other countries - Russia, the US, Japan and the two Koreas - to sit down and talk.
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45974000/jpg/_45974787_two_bridges_226.jpg China's Dandong is a main crossing point between the two countries
"The nuclear test was very disappointing for the Chinese personally," said Brian Bridges, a Korea watcher from Lingnan University in Hong Kong.
"It showed that China does not have as much influence in North Korea as they would like, or the outside world thinks it has."
China does not like to talk in detail about the nature of its relationship with North Korea, which it fought for during the Korean War in the 1950s.
When the BBC recently asked foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu about its influence over the North, he would say only that China does not seek to influence any nation.
But Beijing did appear to show its displeasure. In early June it cancelled a visit to North Korea by a senior official because of her "schedule at home".
Cargo inspections
Chinese academics, who mostly work for state-controlled organisations, have also been talking about the government's shift in attitude.
After the nuclear test by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea - North Korea's official title - there were a number of editorials in Chinese newspapers criticising the North's actions.
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45580000/gif/_45580985_nkorea_generic_0309.gif
"It is completely unacceptable if the DPRK strives for security through confrontation and provocative policies," wrote Zhu Feng of Peking University, in the China Daily.
That comment came on the same day as the United Nations Security Council officially condemned the nuclear test by North Korea.
It also hardened sanctions again the reclusive state, particularly those imposed in 2006 after the North carried out a previous nuclear test.
But while China supported the Security Council's condemnation of its neighbour, it is still wary of striking too strident a note.
The UN resolution also gave other countries the right to stop North Korean ships and inspect their cargo if they had "reasonable grounds" to suspect they were carrying prohibited items.
China agreed to this stipulation, but has advised caution when carrying it out, a viewpoint recently laid out by another foreign ministry spokesman, Qin Gang.
"One should have ample evidence and proper cause," he said.
And China continues to support the North with all kinds of goods, include food and fuel - a sign that it does not want the current regime in Pyongyang to collapse.
If that happened, millions of North Korean refugees could flood across the 1,400km (880-mile) border shared by the two countries.
China does not want that to happen, which means it is willing to put pressure on North Korea - but not too much.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8120293.stm
BBC News, Beijing
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img/999999.gif
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45976000/jpg/_45976777_nkoreaarmy_ap.jpg China went to the aid of North Korea's army in the Korean War
This was supposed to be the year of friendship between China and North Korea, to celebrate 60 years of diplomatic ties.
At a ceremony to launch this special year in Beijing, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said the two nations had a profound friendship.
But North Korea's nuclear and missile tests have shown that these two socialist countries are not as friendly as they once were.
Over the last few months China's attitude towards its ally has hardened, shown by its recent support for sanctions against North Korea.
Willy Lam, of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said this is because China now seriously believes North Korea wants to develop nuclear weapons.
More volatile
"The Chinese used to think that Kim Jong-il was just playing nuclear poker with the Americans, South Korea and Japan," he said.
"But now they think he really does want a nuclear arsenal."
Mr Lam believes Mr Kim is trying to develop these weapons to secure the succession of his third son, Kim Jong-un.
China's position towards North Korea noticeably changed after the North carried out a nuclear test at the end of May.
This seemed to end any hope that the six-party talks - aimed at stopping North Korea's nuclear programmes - would succeed.
Not only did this make the region more volatile, it was also embarrassing for China.
It chairs the six-party talks, and has invested time and effort getting five other countries - Russia, the US, Japan and the two Koreas - to sit down and talk.
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45974000/jpg/_45974787_two_bridges_226.jpg China's Dandong is a main crossing point between the two countries
"The nuclear test was very disappointing for the Chinese personally," said Brian Bridges, a Korea watcher from Lingnan University in Hong Kong.
"It showed that China does not have as much influence in North Korea as they would like, or the outside world thinks it has."
China does not like to talk in detail about the nature of its relationship with North Korea, which it fought for during the Korean War in the 1950s.
When the BBC recently asked foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu about its influence over the North, he would say only that China does not seek to influence any nation.
But Beijing did appear to show its displeasure. In early June it cancelled a visit to North Korea by a senior official because of her "schedule at home".
Cargo inspections
Chinese academics, who mostly work for state-controlled organisations, have also been talking about the government's shift in attitude.
After the nuclear test by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea - North Korea's official title - there were a number of editorials in Chinese newspapers criticising the North's actions.
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45580000/gif/_45580985_nkorea_generic_0309.gif
"It is completely unacceptable if the DPRK strives for security through confrontation and provocative policies," wrote Zhu Feng of Peking University, in the China Daily.
That comment came on the same day as the United Nations Security Council officially condemned the nuclear test by North Korea.
It also hardened sanctions again the reclusive state, particularly those imposed in 2006 after the North carried out a previous nuclear test.
But while China supported the Security Council's condemnation of its neighbour, it is still wary of striking too strident a note.
The UN resolution also gave other countries the right to stop North Korean ships and inspect their cargo if they had "reasonable grounds" to suspect they were carrying prohibited items.
China agreed to this stipulation, but has advised caution when carrying it out, a viewpoint recently laid out by another foreign ministry spokesman, Qin Gang.
"One should have ample evidence and proper cause," he said.
And China continues to support the North with all kinds of goods, include food and fuel - a sign that it does not want the current regime in Pyongyang to collapse.
If that happened, millions of North Korean refugees could flood across the 1,400km (880-mile) border shared by the two countries.
China does not want that to happen, which means it is willing to put pressure on North Korea - but not too much.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8120293.stm