China and Russia have a common ground in the six-party talks. First, they are firmly opposed to the peninsula with nuclear weapons. Second, they insist on resolving North Korea’s nuclear issues through diplomatic negotiations and peaceful means. Third, they support the peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula
Early this year, many observers held a rather optimistic view that the six-party talks would resume in the short term. But several months have passed and there still isn’t any sign of a breakthrough in the talks.
Over the past year, the six-party talks have been affected by the following changing situation. First, in the “Cheonan Incident” in February, a Korean submarine was attacked, causing serious casualties. Then, the “Yeonpyeong Island incident” further deteriorated the situation. Second, since last year, the United States has decided to “return to Asia,” although it never actually left to begin with. It has been substantially involved in a series of East Asian bilateral and multilateral events, including large-scale military exercises, thereby changing the environment in which the six party talks take place.
Third, some members of the talks such as the United States, Korea and Russia will hold presidential elections in 2012, while Japan will undergo cabinet changes and North Korea will announce its “Strong State Plan” at Kim II Song’s 100th anniversary next year. These events have further complicated the situation, as the talks are now dependant on internal political affairs in the countries involved.
However, although the international and domestic situation resolving the North Korean nuclear issues has become complicated and confusing, on the whole the six-party talks are the still only way to solve the problem.
As for North Korea, on the one hand, it is willing to accept the “denuclearization” target and the “three-step denuclearization” program. But on the other hand, North Korea has showed its determination to support nuclear weapons as the situation changes to “ensure security and seek survival.” Meanwhile, the United States has not given up its preemptive strikes against countries without nuclear weapons, and adopts a “double policy” objectively stimulating North Korea’s “possession of nuclear weapons to protect itself.” In this stalemate, South Korea and Japan once again emphasize their alliance policies with the United States for various reasons, which will inevitably lead to further confrontation. In this context, the attitudes of both Russia and China remain crucial.
China and Russia have a common ground in the six-party talks. First, they are firmly opposed to the peninsula with nuclear weapons. Second, they insist on resolving North Korea’s nuclear issues through diplomatic negotiations and peaceful means. Third, they support the peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula. Fourth, they support North Korea in improving livelihood, pursuing development through reform and opening up to promote the peninsula’s stability. Fifth, under the condition of resolutely opposing violent terrorist activities, they support adapting a comprehensive and objective survey on the unexpected events in 2010. They would then take a position of justice to eliminate hostile attitudes and concerns.
Compared with any means to make a strong suppression or any plans to promote nuclear weapons in such a strained situation, the common ground between China and Russia has showed its impartiality, robustness and effectiveness. Although the promotion of the six-party talks still needs time given the volatile situation in the Middle East and North Africa, promoting the early resumption of the six-party talks is the only way to maintain peace and stability in the peninsula.
