China: "Do Not Use the Korean Peninsula Issue as a Tool to Contain China"

Welcome North Korea's Proposal for US-North Dialogue... Must Present Clear and Sincere Plan to North Korea
China to Strengthen Relations with South Korea for Peace on the Korean Peninsula

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] Chinese state media has expressed a welcoming stance toward the United States' proposal for unconditional talks with North Korea.

However, it set a precondition that the U.S. should not use the Korean Peninsula issue to contain China.

The state-run Global Times reported on the 22nd that the U.S. must present a clear and sincere plan to resume North Korea-U.S. talks. The outlet added that it is better not to expect North Korea to distance itself from China.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The media cited experts saying that China will strive to strengthen relations not only with North Korea but also with South Korea to resolve the Korean Peninsula issue.

In particular, China is said to further enhance cooperation with North Korea in economic and security fields. The Global Times emphasized that North Korea's strength in dealing with the U.S. comes from its ties with China.

Professor Jeong Ji-yong of Fudan University commented on U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Policy Sung Kim's call for North Korea to return to unconditional talks, saying, "In the short term, the possibility of direct talks between North Korea and the U.S. is low," and "The U.S. needs to consider how to show sincerity to North Korea." He also claimed that this unconditional dialogue proposal to North Korea was made at the request of the South Korean government. He analyzed that President Joe Biden accepted South Korea's request to focus on containing China.

Researcher L? Chao of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences offered an analysis that the upcoming South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises scheduled for August will serve as a barometer for future North Korea-U.S. relations. He explained that North Korea will judge the U.S.'s sincerity based on the scale and nature of the exercises. He pointed out that although the U.S. hopes South Korea and North Korea will distance themselves from China, this attempt has been proven wrong, and he hopes the Biden administration will not repeat the same mistake.

In this regard, a source in Beijing said, "Since the outbreak of COVID-19, North Korea has closed its borders and imposed self-lockdown measures," adding, "Given the North Korean leadership's great concern about infectious diseases, it will not be easy for human exchanges between the U.S. and North Korea to materialize in the short term."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.