Sino-US Relations Dialogue Series: Difficulties in Resolving Korean Nuclear Crisis

Co-hosted by Grandview Institution and the Center for US-China Relations of School of Social Sciences, Tsinghua University, the second dialogue of Grandview Institution’s China-U.S. Relations Series Dialogue was successfully held on July 6th. Experts from various fields all showed worries about the further development of the meeting of leaders of North Korea and the U.S.

Ma Zhao, a member of Public Intellectuals Program of the National Committee on United States-China Relations, and an Associate Professor of the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures, Washington University in St. Louis

'North Korea have three problems with the U.S.: the military threat to the U.S., the arbitrary threat to the world system leading by the U.S. and the humanitarian disasters it created on a global scale. In most cases the U.S. only seeks for regime change as a unified solution. Out of most expectation, leaders of North Korean and the U.S. met because Trump only target at denuclearize the Korean Peninsula. ' said Ma Zhao, a member of Public Intellectuals Program of the National Committee on United States-China Relations, and an Associate Professor of the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures, Washington University in St. Louis.

Chen Qi, the director of the Tsinghua Center for Us-China Relations of School of Social Sciences

'The latest progress of the North Korean issue showed that without solving many fundamental problems, both inter-Korea relations and North Korea-U.S. relations have made big improvements, which indicates a feasible solution by separating the emotion management and fundamental problems solving among states. Thus, the similar solution may be applied to the current China-U.S. relations in order to find a new breakthrough in economic, trade and other issues which are coerced by emotional issues,' said Chen Qi, the director of the Tsinghua Center for Us-China Relations of School of Social Sciences.

Wang Junsheng, the associate research fellow of the National Institute of International Strategy, Chinese Academic of Social Sciences

Wang Junsheng, the associate research fellow of the National Institute of International Strategy, Chinese Academic of Social Sciences, citing data from The Washington Post and said more than 70% Americans were in favor of Trump's “extreme pressing" upon North Korea. The U.S. is hoping for substantial promotion of the nuclear abandonment in North Korea, but it will be of great difficulty in both implement or negotiation. The friendly atmosphere can't guarantee the certainty of follow-up works.

Liu Xuecheng, the senior research fellow of China Institute of International Studies and the executive deputy director of the Center for US-China Relations

Korean Central News Agency expressed 'pity' towards US 'attitude and position' in an article after the visit by the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, accusing the U.S. of only making “gangster-like” request about denuclearize. Liu Xuecheng, the senior research fellow of China Institute of International Studies and the executive deputy director of the Center for US-China Relations said that the North Korea nuclear issue is the problems left by World War II and Korean War, but also the unavoidable “trust deficit” between two countries. Without Chinese substantially involvement and the operation of the multilateral dialogue mechanism based on it, the principle framework agreement reached in Singapore would be hard to implement and finally become a piece of waste paper.

Zhou Shijian, the senior research fellow of the Tsinghua Center for Us-China Relation

'The promise that North Korea can really fulfill is not nuclear abandonment, but nuclear freezing. Kim Jong-un's understanding about the consequence of nuclear abandonment could be clearer, he would never make the same mistake Gaddafi made once.”Said Zhou Shijian, the senior research fellow of the Tsinghua Center for Us-China Relation. He said China is the biggest beneficiary of the relaxing of North Korea-U.S. relations and the progress of Korean Peninsula towards denuclearization, because it has been China's goals to stop the Korea-U.S. joint military exercise, withdraw THAAD and maintain the peace within the peninsula.

At the meanwhile, experts were honest about the existing problems. Based on the information obtained by the U.S. and South Korea in which , even in North Korea, showed signs and actions of excluding China from the North Korean nuclear issue settlement system, which deserves more attention from (Chinese) higher authorities. 'Regarding of security issues, North Korea will still rely more on China rather than the U.S. and South Korea. The uncertainty appear in the future development of the Korean Peninsula should be an important opportunity for China to get actively involved in North Korean issues, shape Chinese influence and promote peace and stability in the peninsula. In the economic and trade war with the U.S., showing active involvement will be helpful for China to seize initiative when dealing with the U.S.