As U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken sought to use his first trip abroad to shore up Asian alliances on Wednesday, he blasted China for using “coercion and aggression” in the South China Sea. Washington accused Beijing of trying to bully neighbours with competing interest. His visit to Japan, the first overseas trip by top members of Biden administration, was very important.
Accompanied by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Blinken said – “China’s behaviour, where inconsistent with the existing international order, presents political, economic, military and technological challenges to the alliance and to the international community”. After both top guns left Tokyo to continue their trip to Seoul, they resumed the condemnations on China.
In South Korea, Blinken said China was using “coercion and aggression” against Taiwan and Hong Kong. He said – “China is using coercion and aggression to systematically erode autonomy in Hong Kong, undercut democracy in Taiwan, abuse human rights in Xinjiang and Tibet, and assert maritime claims in the South China Sea that violate international law”.
Today (Thursday, 18 March), Blinken urges China to help convince North Korea to abandon its nuclear program, just hours after the Hermit Kingdom said it will ignore the U.S.’ offers to resume negotiations. The U.S. Secretary of State said Beijing can use its “tremendous influence” to pursue denuclearization of the North, justifying that it would be in the interest of China to do so.
Blinken’s sudden twist for China’s assistance came after Choe Son Hui, North Korea’s first vice foreign minister, said his country will ignore a U.S. offer to resume negotiations because of its hostile policy. President Biden had tried to reach Pyongyang through several channels starting in mid-February, but without success. Choe said the U.S. outreach was a “cheap delaying trick”.
Earlier this week, the influential younger sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un unexpectedly warned the United States not to “cause a stink”, as U.S. President Joe Biden prepares to set out his Korean policy. Kim Yo-Jong criticised the U.S. and South Korea for conducting joint military exercises, just a day before the top U.S. officials are due to arrive in Seoul.
It appears the new U.S. president is playing the same old boring game again. The U.S. strategy is quite predictable. On Monday, it would warn China about its aggression before asking for help on Tuesday, praising how only Beijing could influence Dictator Kim. On Wednesday, it would again provoke China before giving the thumbs up to its commitment on climate change on Thursday.
Unlike the previous Trump administration, Blinken said its North Korea strategy would not only address security concerns – clearly refers to nuclear weapons – but also the “repressive” North Korean government’s “widespread, systematic abuses” on its people. So, the ambitious Biden administration wants to tackle both nuclear program and human rights issues.
However, it will be impossible for Joe Biden to convince Kim Jong-Un to abandon North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, let alone telling the dictator to embrace human rights. When even Mr Trump had failed to charm Mr Kim, despite two summits in Singapore and Vietnam, what more Mr Biden, who called the North Korean leader “a thug” during his election campaign.
The deadlock can already be anticipated as Washington is expected to push for North Korean nuclear disarmament before the U.S. and UN economic sanctions could be relaxed. But there’s no way Pyongyang will naively agree to give away its only trump card before the economic sanctions are lifted. If Kim had refused to trust Trump then, chances are he will not trust Biden now.
Likewise, China has absolutely zero interest or incentive to pressure its ally North Korea to dump its nuclear program. When the world was on the brink of its first nuclear war in 2017, thanks to two rogue leaders – Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un – China did not blink, even after the U.S. sent multiple supercarriers and destroyers to the region to threaten Mr Kim.
Having played the game for ages, the Hermit Kingdom would probably start testing its ballistic missiles again to spook South Korea and Japan. Mr Kim wants to test the reaction from the new U.S. president, the same way he did to Donald Trump. Beijing, on the other hand, would keep its silence – a sign of encouragement for its ally North Korea to keep threatening the U.S. allies in the region.
Beijing has no intention whatsoever of putting a leash on Kim Jong-un because it knew it could continue to squeeze American for concessions as long as North Korea is a threat to the U.S. or its allies. Why should China help rival America neutralize the North so that President Biden could get easy credit and potentially makes a turn and threatens China?
If China really wanted to end Kim’s career, it would be as easy as stopping the export of fuel and commodities such as steel, soybean, gasoline, fertilizer, paper, rice and diesel to North Korea. Beijing provides up to 90% of North Korea’s energy supplies. The Chinese could also easily cripple the Hermit Kingdom’s economy – stop buying its coal, which constitutes 85% of its external trade.
North Korea has been acting as China’s “buffer zone” even before the 1950-53 Korean War. In fact, China and Korea have enjoyed similar cultures for more than 2,000 years. Korea was then considered as “little China”. It was only after World War II, with the victory of Allied, that Korea was divided into North and South Korea. In the same breath, Japan’s 35-year rule of Korea also ended.
Without Kim dynasty, the two Koreas could be unified, potentially create a formidable new power in the region and China would be facing “imperialism” led by the United States. To allow Washington controls a unified Korea would only invite a stronger American military presence in China’s own backyard. It also means China would lose its entire territory and influence of “little China”.
More importantly, a sudden collapse of the North Korea would in itself have destabilizing and unpredictable consequences, including a flood of unwanted refugees into China. Beijing’s policy remains the same – the North Korea is untouchable and will be protected. The United States and North Korea will be urged to solve their problem diplomatically, not militarily.
In fact, back in 2017, Beijing had made it clear that if North Korea launches missiles that threaten U.S. soil first and the U.S. retaliates, China will stay neutral. However, if the U.S. and South Korea carry out strikes and try to overthrow the North Korean regime and change the political pattern of the Korean Peninsula, China will prevent them from doing so.
Essentially, it means first, Beijing is absolutely sure that Pyongyang will not strike America. Second, if Washington decides to carry a pre-emptive strike on North Korea anyway, China will defend Mr. Kim the same way the Chinese army came to North Korea’s rescue during the 1950-53 Korean War. Neither aggressor America, nor rogue North Korea can start a war in the Korean Peninsula.
But after all the provocations and warnings carried out by the U.S. so far, is Biden administration seriously thinking China will help to denuclearize North Korea? It appears that the incompetent U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has been wasting time and did not do his homework. You can’t insult China one day and expect the Chinese to help you the next day.
Other Articles That May Interest You …
- Leaked Proposal For “Project XX6” – China Plans To Build A New Type Of Assault Aircraft Carrier
- Kim Gets To Keep His Toy – Trump Is Happy As Long As North Korea Stops Nuclear Weapons Tests
- North Korea’s 10 Clever Tactics To Evade Economic Sanctions
- China Has Spoken – If US-South Korea Strikes North Korea, We Will Defend Kim
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March 18th, 2021 by financetwitter
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Comments
Good analysis! Blinken has torpedoed Biden’s China & North Korea policies in less than 100 days since Biden took over.
In addition to all the hot air that Blinken has been blowing in Japan and South Korea, 2 days before Blinken and Tang are to meet in Alaska (Thursday), US sent a “welcome gift” to China by imposing sanction on 24 Chinese officials (including some senior Hong Kong police personnel) for “eroding Hong Kong’s freedom”. Blinken wanted to teach China a lesson because of the Chinese Parliament’s decision last week to amend Hong Kong’s electoral and legislative structure.
This is the same type of insult that Trump gave to Xi. Whilst both were meeting across the table in the fringe of a global leader meeting in South America, Canada was concurrently detaining Meng Wanzhou (of Huawei) at the airport on the instructions of the US. This was right out of the movies.
China, in fact any sovereign nations, will NOT forget such rude insults.
Blinken and lots of American politicians failed to realise that times have changed since WW2 and the Korean War. If arms conflict is to break out between China and US (or allies from both sides), the US mainland will not be safe from destruction and death. The days of turning on CNN to watch how Baghdad lighted up at night with US missiles are gone.
Neither the South China Sea nor North Korea’s nuclear programme is the business of the US.
North Korea should keep and continue with its nuclear programme bearing in mind until China exploded its first nuclear bomb, the US was threatening China with a nuclear attack every day for many years. Once China tested its bomb, the US shut up, and forever.
So best of luck with bigger and better nuclear warheads, Uncle Kim, and keep sending me your lovely kimchi.
And send your enemies to Malaysia for disposal!