2018-03-30

Tae-Hwan Kwak The Significance of the North Korea-China Summit



(3) North Korea Study Group




Tae-Hwan Kwak
1 hr


I welcome your comments on the following.
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The Significance of the North Korea-China Summit
and North Korea's Policy of Peaceful Coexistence

by Dr. Tae-Hwan Kwak

Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the Korean Workers' Party, and his top foreign and security policy team visited Beijing, China on March 25-28, 2018, by a special train, and his surprise visit shocked the world. He was accompanied by his wife to demonstrate the changes in foreign policy and to send a message to the international community, showing diplomatically that North Korea is a normal state.

Chinese President Xi Jinping warmly welcomed Chairman Kim's party. President Xi, with the expression of "chairman-comrade," emphasized that China-North Korea relations are those of "a goodwill made by blood." Kim responded, "The first overseas visit is China." "The situation on the Korean peninsula is changing rapidly, but we had to inform President Xi that is our duty.”

Kim 's foreign policy changes begin to surface. With the opening of the Kim Jong Un era, North Korea has been completing the nuclear arms for the past six years and declared the completion of nuclear capabilities on November 29, 2017.

The DPRK has begun to show that the peaceful coexistence policy is emerging out of the nuclear confrontation. North Korea participated in the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games unconditionally, and Chairman Kim made a big decision on March 6, 2018, South-North Agreement and succeeded in preparing the South-North summit on April 27 and the North Korea-US summit in May.

At the request of Chairman Kim, the Kim-Xi summit was held secretly. Let us take a brief look at the benefits and the historic significance of the summit.
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First, North Korea has been suffering from severe sanctions for seven years under the resolutions of the UN Security Council. China has no choice but to support UN resolutions because of Kim’s refusal to denuclearize North Korea. Thus, North Korea has economically suffered for long. Kim decided to improve relations with China to survive the North Korean system. The restoration of North Korea-China relations is inevitable for North Korea's survival strategy.

Second, China's plan for the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula may be summarized as (1)"a freeze for freeze plan" and (2) "the simultaneous discussion on the denuclearization and a peace treaty." The DPRK has rejected the Chinese plan, and it appears that North Korea now accepted it. Kim's big decision should be highly commended.

Third, Kim Jong Un and Xi Jinping seem to reaffirm the 9.19 Joint Statement (2005) for the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula agreed upon by the six parties involving China, the US, Japan, Russia, and the two Koreas. It seems to have been converted into the four-party talks structure. Kim said, "If South Korea and the United States do their best to meet our efforts and create an atmosphere of peace and stability and take the step - by - step approach and simultaneous action to action measures to realize peace, we can solve the problem of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula." It is significant that he proposed a "step-by-step, simultaneous action" approach to the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

Fourth, Chairman Kim first proposed the first Kim-Xi summit and President Xi invited Kim. Kim considered North Korea's special relationship with China for North Korea's survival strategy. Kim was also motivated by his desire to give a great gift to his people at the 70th anniversary of the DPRK foundation on September 9 this year. Kim firmly believed that the restoration of North Korea-China relations is essential. With firm support of President Xi, Kim has gained the confidence to negotiate at the South-North Korea summit and the US-North Kora summit.

Fifth, North Korea has strengthened its negotiating position in the North-South summit and the US-DPRK summit. At the Kim-Xi meeting, it is likely that they reaffirmed the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation of Mutual Assistance (1961). According to Article 2 of the treaty, China is obligated to defend North Korea's security when another country attacks North Korea. In such a case, the US seems to be reluctant to take preemptive strikes, including preventive strike and bloody nose strategy. The restoration of the China-North Korea relations seems to have contributed greatly to the restraint of the US military use against North Korea in the future because the US cannot freely use military force against the North
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The probability of war on the Korean peninsula has become very low since the China-North Korea summit. With the cooperation of the US, China, and two Koreas, Four-Party Talks could be held soon within the framework of the Six-Party Talks, which provided opportunities for the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and the establishment of a peace system at the same time.

The North-South summit to be held on April 27 will contribute to the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and a peace system. Therefore, with the implementation of North Korea’s peaceful coexistence policy in the future, Moon Jae-in will continue to play a bridge-building role in resolving the Korean peninsula issues. I expect that the day when the fire of



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