CHINA SENT an envoy to Pyongyang for a meeting with North Korea’s reclusive leader Kim Jong Il yesterday to deliver a letter aimed at smoothing tensions between the two Communist allies over the North’s nuclear ambitions, while opening the door for more multilateral talks.
Dai Bingguo handed Mr Kim a letter from President Hu Jintao, which was couched in old-school Communist diplomatic language, but contained a clear message to Mr Kim to give up on his atomic weapons ambitions, with China’s help. China views North Korea affectionately as a “little brother” and staunch ally.
Relations between North Korea and China have been soured by Pyongyang’s testing of a nuclear device in May, and subsequent missile tests which the international community said were a test of long-range missile technology.
In an unprecedented move, Beijing backed UN sanctions against its ally after North Korea detonated an atomic bomb, clearly without consulting its regional friend.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries and it has been named the “Year of China-DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) Friendship”.
Since then, Pyongyang has been seeking direct talks with Washington, which angers China, host of six-party talks that also involve Russia, South Korea and Japan. Washington is considering bilateral talks as a way of getting North Korea back around a table, even though Pyongyang repeatedly says that the six-party talks are dead.
The South Koreans say North Korea insists on direct talks with the US because it wants recognition as a nuclear state, and warns that the North’s atomic bombs are intended to target South Korea.
South Korean president Lee Myung-bak has cautioned against over-hasty optimism, saying that the North has shown no willingness to disarm. The South Koreans say Pyongyang is feeling the effects of UN sanctions on its weapons exports and financial dealings that were imposed after a nuclear test it conducted in May.
The language of Mr Hu’s letter, as revealed on the Xinhua news agency, was controlled but revealing. “We always consider the China-DPRK’s friendship the treasure of the two parties, two countries and the two peoples,” Mr Hu wrote.
Then, in a strong indication that China was prepared to resume its role as honest broker in dialogue, Mr Hu wrote: “It is China’s consistent goal to realise denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and safeguard and promote peace, stability and development of northeast Asia,” going on to say that China would “spare no effort to work with the DPRK to realise such goals.” Chinese premier Wen Jiabao is reportedly going to visit North Korea in early October.
The UN sanctions following the nuclear test in May led to a major escalation of tensions on the peninsula, which were relieved somewhat after former US president Bill Clinton travelled to Pyongyang and returned with two detained American journalists in August. This was followed by the freeing of a detained Hyundai Group worker and four South Korean fishermen.
A delegation from the North travelled to the South to pay respects after the death of former South Korean president Kim Dae Jung, and the two Koreas this month settled a wage dispute at a jointly-run industrial complex.