The charisma of China's shuttle diplomacy reappears

Home>>Opinion

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, November 11, 2003

The charisma of China's shuttle diplomacy reappears

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

Vice FM in Seoul to push for new six-party talks

After three months of superficial quietness, the diplomatic consultations of the six-party talks on the second round of the Korean nuclear issue are again warming up. The "shuttle diplomacy" China carried out before the first round talks once again plays its role, the six-party talks are expected to be held by the end of this year.

On November 8, Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Wang Yi who concluded his America visit indicated that an important opportunity for continuing the peace talks on solving the Korean nuclear issue has now appeared, the Chinese side is willing to make proper preparations for the talks together with the other parties. He expressed the hope that in the spirit of mutual respect, mutual non-hostilities and consultations on an equal footing, the various parties would strive to seek for a solution plan conforming to the interests of and being acceptable to various parties. One day earlier, Wang Yi and US Assistant Secretary of State J.A. Kelly optimistically indicated after talks that preparations for the new round of Beijing six-party talks have already started.

These views of Wang Yi were published after his talks with US Secretary of State Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, US National Security Adviser and J.A. Kelly, assistant secretary of state for East Asian affairs. Wang Yi came to the United States on consultations for preparations for the second round of Beijing six-party talks.

On November 7, US State Department spokesperson Richard Boucher said at a press conference that the United States feels optimistic about the possible new round of six-party talks, because both his country and the DPRK had expressed their wishes to attend the new round of six-party talks; and China is indeed playing its role in bringing various parties together. He said: Powell is inspired by the prospect for holding a new round of the six-party talks and by the possibility for peacefully solving the Korean nuclear issue. The spokesman disclosed: Powell and Wang Yi mentioned how to advance toward the goal of settling the issue and to strive for progress in the next round of six-party talks. He declared that the United States insists on giving the DPRK security guarantee under a multilateral framework, which will be resolved together with realization of the goal of terminating the Korean nuclear program.

Top legislator meets Kim Jong Il

Analysts hold that China's second round "shuttle diplomacy" has been successful, and the new round of six-party talks on the Korean nuclear issue will be held soon. Reports from foreign news agencies optimistically expressed the view that China has blown the whistle of preparations for the second round talks.

The latest diplomatic efforts made by China for the solution of the Korean nuclear issue also include: Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo had set off on November 9 on a journey to the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Japan. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue announced at a regular press conference on November 4 that Dai Bingguo would pay a visit to the ROK on November 9-12 and to Japan on November 12-16, during the visits, both sides would have an exchange of views on bilateral relations and international issues of common concerns. In mid-October, Chinese Vice-foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Moscow and met with his Russian counterpart Alexander Losyukov.

However, among the series of diplomatic moves, the most attractive one was that on October 30 Wu Bangguo, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and chairman of the Chinese National People's Congress (NPC), led the Chinese State Delegation to pay an official friendship visit to the DPRK, during the visit he met with Kim Jong Il, general secretary of the Korean Workers' Party and chairman of the National Defense Committee, the Korean side expressed its agreement, in principle, to continue the process of the six-party talks.

In August this year, China, the United States, Russia, Japan, the ROK and the DPRK held in Beijing the six-party negotiations on the Korean nuclear issue. In the end, due to the major differences between the United States and the DPRK over the methods for the solution of problem, the participating representatives failed to decide on the date for the second round negotiations. The United States and other countries expressed the hope that the DPRK would give up its nuclear program, but the latter hoped to get US security guarantee first. After the conclusion of the Beijing six-party talks, both the United States and China expressed the hope that the second round talks would take place by the end of this year, but so far a definite timetable not yet been set.

Despite the fact that the main task in the first round negotiations was for the various parties to know each other's base line and expound their own viewpoints, this round of negotiations still played an important role. Both the United States and the DPRK basically kept their promises not to do anything that would worsen the situation, moreover, the parties concerned have gradually loosened their respective stands. On October 10, US Secretary of State Powell indicated that in order to break the deadlock of the nuclear crisis of the Korean Peninsula and dispel Korea's security worries, the United States intentionally united with the important countries around the DPRK to set forth a proposal on a "written, open multilateral guarantee agreement" which is to be participated by multiple parties to provide the DPRK with security guarantee.

While accepting a media interview, Powell pointed out that this formal written agreement has made a further step forward compared with the US government's previous guarantee made in the forms of "letter or statement". There is no lack of precedents in history in resolving similar issues. Officials of the State Department have found out "similar international security guarantees" over the past 80 years", they are conducting careful study of this type of documents and have set about to draft similar agreements.

The method mentioned by Powell was used in the process of persuading Ukraine to give up its nuclear weapons from 1993-1994, at that time, the United States, Russia and Britain signed a memorandum of understanding on guaranteeing Ukraine's security, thus impelling Ukraine to give up its nuclear weapons. The United States is considering using the "Ukraine method" to solve the Korean nuclear issue.

On October 25, a Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson indicated that his country would conditionally consider the proposal on providing the DPRK with written security guarantee.

There are a variety of sayings about the time for the second round of six-party talks. On November 4, Young Yoon-kwan, foreign and commerce minister of the ROK, issued a statement, saying: We will conduct consultations with relevant countries to decide on the time for the second round, six-party talks as soon as possible and we hope that the six-party talks could be held by the end of this year. Nibon Keizai Shimbun even more optimistically estimates that the new round talks would be held "in mid-November, or before mid-December at the latest".

Jin Canrong, vice-president of the International Relations School of the Renmin University of China, told the reports that the second round six-party talks will not just listen more to each other's remarks as in the first round talks, the various parties would likely conduct consultations on concrete issues and would possibly reach some concrete consensus. A scholar unwilling to be identified told China Youth Daily that an estimate show an important indicative of whether or not the new round of talks could achieve results depends on what level negotiation representatives are sent out by the six parties, if the United States, Japan and some other countries still send bureau-level officials, that shows that the authority of representatives of various countries is limited, in that case, it will be difficult to make breakthroughs in sharp problems.

By People's Daily Online

Questions?Comments? Click here

China sows seeds for diplomatic 'harvest' in Korea

China, US closer to new round of six-party talks

China, DPRK agree to continue six-party talks on Korean nuclear issue

Is English invading Chinese culture? ( 20 Messages)

Chinese fleet visit heart of US forces in the Pacific ( 15 Messages)

Global survey: Chinese women sexiest ( 56 Messages)

Economist: China has no need to worry about possible trade deficits ( 3 Messages)

Japanese students, teacher make apology in Xi'an ( 17 Messages)

China expects to see trade deficit in near future: official ( 9 Messages)