Security and peacekeeping challenges ahead for China

• Source: Global Times
• [21:14 November 05 2009]
• Comments

China has enormous interests and stakes in seeing North Korean issues resolved peacefully.

Going forward, though, in spite of the efforts of the US, China, and other partners to reach a diplomatic solution on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, we have to admit that we have not been successful in our efforts yet. There may be progress in the future, but that's going to be very difficult. China has to use as many diplomatic and economic levers as possible to bring greater pressure to bear on the leadership of North Korea to take the right steps back toward denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

GT: How does China's military development affect its relations with its neighbors? Does the US see China as a potential military threat?

Gill: China's military is making significant progress in a number of ways. Whenever a large power like China expands its military capability, its neighbors will be watching very carefully and will have concerns about the intentions of its military modernization efforts. China has tried in many ways to reassure its neighbors and has entered into various activities to do so. That's good. Nevertheless, there are questions in regional political circles about China's long-term intentions.

China probably needs to be even more transparent, even more reassuring, and work even harder to convince regional powers that China does not intend to be an overly dominant force in international affairs in the years ahead. As for the US, I don't think the US sees China as a threat.

I think the evidence over the last 10 or 15 years is clearly of a deepening and more positive relationship between the US and China.

If the US really thought China was a threat, there wouldn't be the diplomatic relationship we have today. The relationship, globally, is one of change as China becomes more influential. So of course that raises concerns in the minds of people in the US. But I don't think it's a threat. I think it's more of an uncertainty about China's long-term role in international affairs.

I am personally confident that the US and China will continue to find common ground.

They will continue to find ways to work together, and will certainly avoid confrontation and conflict.

But it really requires careful management and good diplomacy on both sides and a more open attitude toward one another.