N. Korea: Beijing loses patience with Pyongyang

It means Beijing will not block the United States and Japan from introducing a resolution in the United Nations Security Council critical of North Korea.

Chinese and North Korean officials have discussed the possibility that the nuclear issue could be brought before the United Nations.

North Korea has asked China to veto any resolution in the Security Council that calls for sanctions against Pyongyang, but China has refused to make such a commitment.

Instead, according to a well- placed source, the Chinese have responded that they must take the overall international environment into consideration before making a decision. In particular, the Chinese told their North Korean counterparts, they must respect the majority view in the Security Council.

China's patience has been severely tested by North Korean actions. The Chinese Government was taken aback when Pyongyang announced on Feb 10 ? the second day of the Chinese New Year ? that it would suspend participation in the six-party talks because of the Bush administration's "hostile policy", reflected in Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice's reference to the country as an "outpost of tyranny" during confirmation hearings.

Senior Chinese officials enjoying their New Year holiday were called in for urgent meetings to deal with the situation.

In the end, it was decided that President Hu Jintao would send a message to North Korean leader Kim Jong Il urging him not to abandon the talks. The message was conveyed in person by Wang Jiarui, head of the international department of the Chinese Communist Party, who arrived in Pyongyang on March 19.

Three days later, North Korea softened its position by saying that it would return to the six-party talks if the United States showed "sincerity".

According to Chinese sources, the North Koreans wanted a formal apology from the United States. However, China made it clear that this was out of the question. Instead, Chinese officials have told North Korea it should be satisfied with Secretary Rice's recent remarks that the United States recognised that North Korea was a sovereign state

Rice also said that the United States was willing to hold bilateral talks with North Korea within the six-party format, a stance that seems to have met Pyongyang's demand for bilateral talks.

The North Koreans have asked for talks with the United States on the basis of equality. This, one Chinese source explained, means that they want to talk as one nuclear power to another.

"This is daydreaming," he said. "The United States would never agree to it."

"They want to be a de facto nuclear power, like India and Pakistan," the source said, "but the United States would not live with that."

While North Korea says that it needs nuclear weapons for its own security, Chinese officials believe that even if North Korea acquires a few nuclear bombs, it will not make the country more secure but simply a target of the United States.

China provides North Korea with substantial amounts of economic aid, especially oil, to keep its economy afloat. However, Chinese sources say, the North Koreans do not express gratitude for this.

This is because North Korea sees itself and China as comrades in arms in a war against American imperialism. The North Koreans say that, being on the front lines, they are bearing the brunt of American hostility and it is China's duty to provide support for their common endeavour.

China already sees itself as the only permanent member of the Security Council that is surrounded by nuclear states, such as the United States, Russia and India. It does not want another nuclear state on its border.

Besides, if North Korea became a nuclear state, then Japan and South Korea may well develop nuclear weapons, too, with Taiwan possibly following suit.

"There will be no peace in East Asia," one Chinese source said.

As to when the six-party talks may resume, American officials have suggested that if they are not resumed by the end of next month ? when it would be a whole year since the last session ? then Washington might consider going to the United Nations.

Because of this deadline, North Korea may well reject an early resumption of the talks so as not to appear to be succumbing to American pressure. For this reason, some Chinese sources speculate that Pyongyang may decide not to talk until July at the earliest.

* Frank Ching is a Hong Kong-based writer and commentator.