Sino-US Competition And Cooperation On The Korean Peninsula

The issue of the North Korean nuclear crisis is examined in order to figure out whether Sino-US interactions on the peninsula are cooperative or competitive.Although there is some cooperation between China and the US on the issues of the North Korean nuclear crisis,it is competition between US-led democratization(regime change and evolution) and China's anti-US democratization(regime survival and reform) and US unilateralism and China's multilateralism.This research also considers the new developments of the Obama administration.The following research questions will be examined:1:Is conflict inevitable between China and the US on the Korean peninsula?2:How does China respond to US regime change(regime evolution) on the Korean peninsula?3:What's a different approach to resolve the North Korean nuclear crisis between China and the US?The chapter three examines the main cause of the first nuclear crisis is US-led democratization in North Korea with economic sanctions,military threat and a diplomatic blockade.The first North Korean nuclear crisis was resolved by the Agreed Framework in 1994.The first DPRK nuclear crisis deals not only with the issue of the nuclear development, but also the ignition of competition between China and the US.Although some scholars think that the first North Korean nuclear crisis(1993-1994) is the consequence of North Korea's economic depression and US economic sanction,military threat and US blockade policy,it is the ignition of competition between China and the US because the US wants to democratize the DPRK to maintain its hegemony while China is against US-led democratization on the Korean peninsula.Therefore,the first North Korean nuclear crisis is the ignition of competition between US-led democratization and China's opposition to this action.The second North Korean nuclear crisis was caused by US 'regime change'.The US hardliners wanted to change the DPRK regime by economic sanctions and military actions because of its strong belief in democratic peace but Beijing wanted DPRK 'regime survival' and 'regime reform' in order to avoid possible economic loss and direct military confrontation against the US.The US is using the leverage of DPRK democratization to actually democratize China.If the US continues the democratization of the DPRK and China,there might be military conflict between the DPRK and the US,possibly involving China.The US does not have any right to intervene in the democratization of DPRK or China.China's democratization totally depends on the Chinese people.In order to avoid unnecessary conflict,the US should not attempt to democratize China and the DPRK but should cooperate with China's policy of DPRK regime survival and reform instead of regime change and evolution to solve the North Korean nuclear crisis and to stabilize the peninsula.The chapter four will discuss the issue of Northeast Asian international institutions related to the Six-Party Talks and the East Asian Community.It also examines whether or not military conflict is inevitable on the Korean peninsula.Northeast Asia does not have any international regime.However,the Six-Party Talks can be transformed into a permanent security regime, and ASEAN+3 contains Northeast Asian countries(China,Japan and South Korea) which might be transformed into an East Asian Community.The Six-Party Talks is the result of competition between China's multilateralism and US unilateralism because of the success of China's multilateralism and the possibility of military conflict.If China and the US do not manage the DPRK nuclear crisis well,the crisis might be the ignition of a second military conflict between the US,the DPRK and China.In order for peaceful development,China needs to solve the North Korean nuclear crisis in a peaceful way. It wants to build a permanent Northeast Asian security institution by institutionalizing the Six-Party Talks while the US strengthens bilateral 'hub-spoke' relations with South Korea and Japan in order to contain China and maintain hegemonic status.There might be more competition than cooperation because Washington worries whether East Asian integration will marginalize the US and whether it will strengthen Chinese influence in the region.China is also suspicious about US interventionism in East Asia.Some scholars believe that the lack or international institutions can cause conflict in Northeast Asia and some liberals expect that the institutionalization of the Six-Party Talks,the future East Asian Community and economic interdependence can create comprehensive cooperation between China and the US.However,the relationship between China and the US is mostly competitive because of China's intention to diminish US hegemony in East Asia and the US intention to engage in East Asian affairs.In the chapter five,it is hardly believed that Washington abandoned democratic peace. Democratic peace is fundamental to US policy and an important factor in US-led liberal democracy and market economy.Similarly,China also never gives up its fundamental socialist egalitarianism even though Beijing allows a socialist market economy to develop on its own.There is comprehensive cooperation between China and the US in economy and on the nuclear crisis but there is still tension between their completely different systems.There is a new government in the form of the Obama administration in the US and its new approaches might explain whether the interactions between China and the US are competitive or cooperative.Obama mentioned as a US presidential nominee last year that "Our first measure must be sustained,direct,and aggressive diplomacy." Obama indicated that he would be willing to meet with North Korean leader Kim,Jong Il.Obama regarded North Korea as a negotiation partner,which is different from the Bush administration.The Obama administration has no intention of regime change in North Korea.It might be similar to the Clinton administration, whose policy was based on regime evolution.It is strongly forbids DPRK possession of nuclear weapons and ICBM technology but pursues the democratization of the DPRK with comprehensive economic cooperation.The Obama administration wants to maintain comprehensive cooperation to resolve the nuclear crisis with China.However,there is competition between China and the US because of the US MD network,role change in the USFK(United States Force in Korea) and policy differences in economic sanctions and military action against the DPRK.The US is concerned about the diminishment of US influence and the increase of China's influence on the peninsula.The US believes that if it can democratize North Korea,it can maintain its hegemonic status on the peninsula and mitigate China's influence on South Korea. Beijing is against the MD network and the role change in the USFK,and prefers the withdrawal of US force in the South to avoid an arms race and military conflict.China never wants another military conflict with the US.It learned that military conflict cannot resolve any problem on the peninsula,but there must be peaceful and reasonable means to resolve the nuclear crisis.Multilateral cooperation to resolve the nuclear crisis is the only way to stabilize the peninsula.If China or the US mismanages the nuclear crisis,there will be unimaginable chaos on the Korean peninsula.Conflict is not inevitable because first,all six-parties fear numerous casualties and enormous economic loss.Second,there is cooperation on the Six-Party Talks. Third,there is close economic interdependence between China and the US.However,it is competition between China and the US on the issues of the nuclear crisis because first,the US wants to democratize the DPRK and China.Second,China wants to diminish US hegemony on the Korean peninsula while the US wants to maintain it.