North Korean Nuclear Issue, The Driving Force In The Process

The two nuclear crises on the Korean Peninsula constituted the mainstream shaping the post-cold war American-DPRK relationship. The two sides managed to ease the first crisis in 1994 by signing the Agreed Framework, thanks to their exercise of restraint and mutual compromise. However, lack of mutual trust and ineffective implementation of the agreement, among other things, carried a foreshadowing of what was to follow in later stage. The second crisis burst out in October 2002 and gave rise to a grave situation on the Korean Peninsula.The DPRK played the "nuclear card" out of a two-fold consideration: improving its own security by pushing back America's hostile policy, and bargaining for "foreign aid" by getting rid of the "burden". The United States, in a clear-cut position, insisted that it was the DPRK that first violated the agreement, therefore, DPRK must carry out a complete, verifiable and irreversible disarmament (CVID) prior to anything that could be put under discussion. The two sides were in serious discrepancy and diametrically opposed to each other on this issue.The nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula bears on the interests of other countries that have a stake in it. China, ROK, Japan and Russia, instead of "looking on with a cold eye" when the nuclear crisis became increasingly intense, urged and guided the US and DPRK to keep calm and exercise restraint, so as to solve the crisis in a peaceful manner through diplomacy and dialogue. This was done not only in words, but also in action. The past year witnessed the evolution from Three-Party Talks to two rounds of Six-Party Talks in Beijing, and the Working Group Meeting as well, in which China's shuttle diplomacy and painstaking efforts were the driving force behind the process towards a final solution of the Korean nuclear issue.What motivated China to play such an active role in mediating the nuclear issue could be summed up from the following: China's consistent stand to maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, China's own strategic need and national interest, a new orientation of China's diplomacy in the new century, China's traditional friendship and natural affiliations with DPRK. The international community, particularly the other 5 parties involved in the nuclear issue all spoke highly of China's role which facilitated the solution of the crisis with concrete steps, and expected China to do more in the future. Nevertheless, China must be fully aware that playing a moderate role would be a sober judgment, as its role and efforts, in final analysis, were restrained by some other factors.It is hard for the nuclear issue to produce a clear result in short terms. What could be certain is that its solution would be a complicated and prolonged process. However, China cannot afford to sit aside, and just wait. China should continue its role and be an active player in coordinating the parties concerned to form a "resultant force", and bringing substantive progress to the Six-Party Talks, so as to bring an earlier, sound and final solution to the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula.