Allowing collapse of North Korea unacceptable: experts

• Source: Global Times
• [02:36 August 03 2009]
• Comments

By Qiu Wei

Chinese scholars confirmed yesterday that Beijing had refused the invitation of Washington to take part in discussions about North Korea’s future, saying that allowing the collapse of the regime would be unacceptable.

The US is reportedly drawing up a broad contingency plan to handle a predicted major power reshuffle in Pyongyang.

“The US had proposed the idea several times. It has insisted on holding discussions on the issue, while China has insisted on not holding such meetings,” said Zhang Liangui, an expert on North Korea at the Party School of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

The US has raised the idea of joint talks in several meetings with senior Chinese officials, according to an AP report that also indicated Beijing’s unwillingness to participate in bilateral talks over the issue.

China’s Foreign Ministry refused to comment on the issue yesterday.

The US seeks more control over the North by coaxing China into its initiative of a contingency plan to eventually form a pro-US Korean Peninsula, putting pressure on China and Russia. A stabilized regime in the North is in line with the national interests of China, said Dai Xu, an Air Force Colonel and military strategist. “It’s a scheme of the US.”

China’s reluctance to talk with the US is understandable, some experts said, but others underscored the significance of such discussions.

“It is a diplomatic taboo for China to talk with the US about North Korea’s future, as discussions might irritate Pyongyang and give it the impression that China and the US have formed an alliance,” said Zhang.

However, judging from the current situation on the Korean Peninsula and the strategic demands of both the US and China, bilateral discussions and a contingency plan are necessary to reduce misunderstandings, Zhang noted.

“Things will happen even if you ignore them,” Zhang said. “China refuses to talk about it diplomatically, but it would be irresponsible if the topic were excluded from the table.