China stated this week that its relationship with North Korea had survived a tempest after the shelling of a South Korean island and the release of U.S. diplomatic cables by Ｗikileaks beginning last Sunday giving some insight as to how China views its ally. To call what has transpired with North Korea not just over the last fortnight but in the last ten years a tempest is somewhat disingenuous.
After the sinking of the Cheonan last March killing 46 Korean sailors and the discovery that it was a North Korean torpedo that had been the cause the Chinese government remained silent. What was China’s reaction to the artillery attack two weeks ago? That all nations in Northeast Asia should deal with the crisis in a restrained and clam manor.
China’s cynical approach to diplomacy is amazing given that its client state and close ally North Korea is utterly paranoid and unpredictable. If the Chinese want to be seen as an arbiter for solving some of more intractable problems our planet is facing then they must show themselves willing to criticize North Korea’s actions when they run counter to what is best for regional and global stabilization.
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