Editorial
China has role to help push North Korea to rejoin talks over nuclear disarmament
Wrapping up his four-nation Asian tour that kicked off in Japan, U.S. President Barack Obama made a befitting announcement in South Korea that he would dispatch U.S. special envoy to North Korea Stephen Bosworth to Pyongyang on Dec. 8. We find ourselves at a crossroad as we wait to see whether Bosworth can convince North Korea to return to the six-party talks and resume negotiations toward dismantling its nuclear program.
Of course, Obama's tour was based on a much broader blueprint for Asia-related policies, the content of which was revealed in the speech he gave in Tokyo last week. In addition to the English text of the speech, Japanese, Chinese, Korean and Indonesian versions have been posted on the White House Web site, most likely an indication of the U.S. government's goal of enhancing its influence in the Asia-Pacific region.
Such American aims were immediately realized in Singapore, where President Obama headed after leaving Tokyo. There, in addition to the APEC meeting -- originally the main event on Obama's agenda -- the first summit between the U.S. and all 10 ASEAN leaders took place. The U.S. drew international praise for its engagement in dialogue with the government of Myanmar, a shift from its earlier policy toward the military regime.
In particular, it was President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia who expressed a sense of kinship with the U.S. president. "President Obama is a friend of Indonesia," he said, in response to Obama's announcement that next year, he intended to bring his family to visit the country where he'd spent part of his childhood.
Things did not go as smoothly in China, however. The local university students who participated in the town hall meeting with Obama in Shanghai appeared to have undergone a rigorous screening process, and as such, the majority of their questions and comments stuck to the official line of the Chinese government. Obama made comments critical of Internet regulation, but the meeting was broadcast only on a local TV station.
While President Obama is said to have raised the issue of human rights in his meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao, the meeting itself was not open to the press, and U.S. conservatives have blasted Obama for being more weak-kneed toward China than his predecessors Bill Clinton and George W. Bush on their respective visits to the country. This could perhaps be attributed to a shifting power relationship between the U.S. and China.
Obama also said, "The world recognizes the importance of the U.S.-Chinese relationship (in tackling global problems)," which seems to explain the declaration in his Tokyo speech that "the United States does not seek to contain China." Indeed, China is a major player when it comes to such matters as the worldwide economic crisis, global warming, natural resources and security. Ultimately, China is at the heart of the U.S. government's new Asia policy.
So what will be demanded of China? One issue in which it will no doubt be asked to make a significant contribution is the nuclear disarmament of North Korea. As the host country of the six-party talks and the country supplying a majority of North Korea's food and energy, China has the responsibility of utilizing its influence. It must provide indirect support for Bosworth's visit and help push North Korea to rejoin the negotiating table.
(Mainichi Japan) November 20, 2009