Posted on 12/16/2013 6:13:17 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster
China seeks out Russia over North Korea strategy
Staff Reporter 2013-12-16 15:13 (GMT+8)
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. (Photo/CFP)
In an unusual move, China has sought out Russia to discuss a way forward regarding North Korea following the execution of pro-reform leader Jang Sung-taek, reports Duowei News, an outlet run by overseas Chinese.
Jang, 67, the uncle-in-law of North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong-un, was executed last week for allegedly staging a coup. He was described as "despicable human scum" by North Korea's state media and accused of treason, corruption, womanizing, gambling and taking drugs. Jang was not afforded a right of appeal and was executed just four days after being found guilty of all charges against him.
China has remained largely silent on the execution, but when asked about the matter at a press conference on Dec. 13, Chinese foreign minister spokesperson Hong Lei diplomatically stated: "We have noted relevant reports. It is the DPRK's internal affair. As its neighbor, we hope to see the DPRK maintain political stability and realize economic development and people there lead a happy life."
It has since been revealed that Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi contacted his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on the evening of Dec. 13 to discuss high-level exchanges between the two countries next year but also the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula. While the two countries have arranged similar talks before, this was believed to be the first time China has pro-actively sought out Russia to discuss North Korea since Pyongyang put an end to the six-party talks — aimed at finding a peaceful resolution to North Korea's nuclear program — in 2009.
China, Duowei said, is searching for a partner to engage in strategic talks over North Korea given the unpredictability of Kim Jong-un's actions and plans regarding further nuclear testing and escalation of its belligerent rhetoric. Moreover, the fact that Jang was regarded as a primary driver of North Korea's reform movement is said to have China scrambling to figure out whether his death signals a repudiation of Chinese-style economic reform and how it may affect future relations between the two countries.
There is also speculation that Jang may have been made a scapegoat for the failed economic reforms he was implementing in North Korea, raising further concerns that Pyongyang may decide to move in a different direction.
In answering a question about how Jang's execution could affect China-North Korean business ties, Hong offered another tame response, saying that "China will continue economic interactions with the DPRK based on friendliness and mutual benefit and advance practical cooperation."
As a partner that co-operated with Jang in shaping North Korea's reform efforts, China needs to distance itself from Jang and ascertain Kim's intentions for the future direction of his country, Duowei said, adding that China's unusual effort to seek out Russia to discuss the issue is an acknowledgment of its inability to rein in North Korea despite being its only ally.
P!
Window dressing from the PRC.
That also describes about 3/4s of the democrat party.
Lil’ Pudgy wants to run the country like daddy, with 100% control.
Uncle conspired with China to open the country up a bit and develop a la China.
Lil’ Pudgy killed the uncle.
I’m thinking China may kill Pudgy off soon.
Ah so, desuka !
I don't think so. China has better reasons than any other country to want to see the Norks reform their economy. The Chinese are afraid of losing influence over North Korea through an internal coup (to either the Americans or to the South Koreans - same difference), or that North Korea will simply collapse and China will be overrun by millions of Koreans. It is kind of funny to think of the Chinese fearing a flood of immigrants given that all of China's other neighbors are afraid of China for the exact same reason.
>>Ah so, desuka !
Mochiron!
I suspect Uncle Jang was China’s ‘inside man’, and a kind of mediator between them and the Pilsbury Dough Boy. Now he’s been... exploded, they’re worried North Korea is beginning to crumble.
More than anything, they just want a buffer country that’s very hostile to South Korea. Keep the peninsular dwellers at bay while China deals with Japan.
Just give the North to the Chinese. Problem solved.
Sounds like a good spot for some Ricin.
Koreans are an angry people. They’re not very thankful of our sacrifices either. I say make the South FEED the north. No outside help except for the media. The regime will have to fall peacefully first.
No, I don’t think they have anything like that much control. Uncle “human scum” was China’s man and he just got whacked. China’s aid to NK pas been problematic as well. A couple of years ago they sent a train load of food and the Norks stole the train, locomotive and all.
I suppose the private security force Jang was putting together had nothing to do with it?
Idiot author might read the intelligence reports before throwing crap like this out there.
Do itashi !
Political axiom...”If you want a friend...get a dog!” In International Politics no one is anyone’s true friend. No One!
I think that's a bit of a stretch, isn't it?
Bingo.
In the West, we often assume that economic freedom inexorably leads to political freedom.
That simply cannot be backed up from world history.
There have been plenty of kleptocratic or oligarchic regimes which were just as authoritarian as any dictatorship or hereditary monarchy.
Fascism is probably the best modern equivalent to the direction in which China appears to be moving, but there are many older examples from Renaissance Europe. Prussia, Imperial Japan from the late 1800s until the end of World War II, and several other more-or-less free enterprise economies also provide examples of nations in which a relatively small number of major business owners held great influence in but not final control over governmental decisions.
A good case can be made that fascism, by moving economic power into the hands of a relatively large number of businessmen whose success has at least some relationship to their merits, can be a transition step to political freedom.
But modern Chinese history seems to be proving that what can happen doesn't always happen.
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