US-China Leaders Hold Video Summit... Will They Also Discuss North Korea's Nuclear Issue and End-of-War Declaration?

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] The first virtual summit between the U.S. and Chinese leaders within the year is of greatest interest to us in terms of how it will impact the security landscape of the Korean Peninsula. Optimistically, we hope to see progress and consensus on big-picture issues such as the North Korean nuclear problem and a declaration of the end of the war, but realistically, there are many challenges. Experts say this is because the two countries have stark differences in opinion on North Korea and there is insufficient time to manage U.S.-China conflicts.

On the 7th, Shin Beom-chul, head of the Foreign Affairs and Security Center at the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade, said in a phone interview, "If the virtual U.S.-China summit takes place, it will last at most 2 to 3 hours, making it difficult to have in-depth discussions on North Korean issues," and predicted, "There is a possibility that the declaration of the end of the war might not even be discussed." In general, bilateral summits are held over 1 or 2 days with 3 to 4 meetings, allowing room to cover detailed issues, but virtual summits are not conducive to this, he said.

Moreover, since this is the first summit between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping, a significant amount of time is likely to be spent on managing bilateral conflicts. Issues like North Korea, which may be considered relatively less important, could be pushed to the background. According to China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency, on the 6th (local time), during talks between Yang Jiechi, Chinese Politburo member in charge of foreign affairs, and Jake Sullivan, U.S. National Security Advisor, both sides agreed to properly manage conflicts and avoid clashes and confrontations. The summit is expected to proceed along these lines. Shin predicted, "Even discussing just U.S.-China conflict management issues will not leave enough time."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

If any dialogue related to North Korea takes place, it may be at China’s request. While China has expressed support for the declaration of the end of the war proposed by President Moon Jae-in, the U.S. has yet to state its position. Ultimately, even if dialogue occurs, it is likely to end with a repetition of ‘principled’ statements. In particular, regarding sanctions on North Korea, China advocates for ‘easing’ them, whereas the U.S. believes ‘participating countries should enforce stronger sanctions on North Korea.’ A recently released report from the UN Security Council’s North Korea Sanctions Committee included details of China’s non-cooperation with the sanctions committee, and the U.S. State Department has also criticized this. Yang Moo-jin, professor at the University of North Korean Studies, said, "From the U.S. perspective, they will say things they have said before, such as ‘We can have unconditional talks, but North Korea’s missile launches violate UN Security Council resolutions, and we support restoring inter-Korean communication lines.’ China, in response, will demand a more progressive U.S. stance, including easing North Korea sanctions with a ‘snapback’ clause (restoring sanctions if violated).”

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