North Korean envoy sent to Beijing
Source: Agencies |
May 23, 2013, Thursday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent a special envoy to China yesterday, the latest sign that Pyongyang may be giving diplomacy a chance.
The trip by Vice Marshal Choe Ryong Hae, a senior Workers' Party official and the military's top political officer, is taking place as tensions ease somewhat on the Korean Peninsula after near-daily vows from North Korea to attack the US and South Korea in March and April.
North Korea also revealed yesterday that a former defense minister, Kim Kyok Sik, was promoted chief of the Korean People's Army in the latest in a series of high-level military reshuffles as Kim Jong Un elevates a new generation of military leaders.
The last high-level North Korea-China meeting took place when Party chief Xi Jinping, now China's president, sent a Politburo member to Pyongyang in November. Weeks later, North Korea launched a long-range rocket, followed by an underground nuclear test in February. That test, the country's third, drew tougher sanctions by the UN and United States.
Showing its displeasure with North Korea over its nuclear test, China tightened inspections on cross-border trade and its state banks have halted business with North Korea's Foreign Trade Bank.
"The North Korean side has been feeling China's pressure," said Ma Xiaojun, a North Korea watcher at the Central Party School in Beijing.
China's point man
"Our policies and stance have tended to be tougher and more clearly express our unhappiness and displeasure," said Ma. He added, quoting President Xi, "causing trouble on China's doorstep is not right, and China will not tolerate it."
Immediately after landing in Beijing, Choe went to see Wang Jiarui, head of the Chinese Communist Party's International Department and long the point man for China's dealings with North Korea.
Choe may be paving the way for a visit by Kim Jong Un, who has not been to Beijing since taking power. His father, Kim Jong Il, visited China in 2011.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei reiterated that Beijing is committed to seeing North Korea denuclearize while maintaining regional stability.
Last week, a Japanese envoy traveled to Pyongyang for discussions about the decades-old abductions of its citizens by North Korea. After the envoy's return, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he would be open to a summit with Kim Jong Un if it would lead to a breakthrough.
Other countries are worried about focusing on Japanese abductions. Glyn Davies, the US special representative for North Korea policy, warned that North Korea might be trying to use talks with Japan to drive a wedge between the policies of Tokyo, Washington and Seoul.
During a summit with US President Barack Obama this month, South Korean President Park Geun-hye laid out her policy of building trust with North Korea. Her office said she may travel to China next month.
The trip by Vice Marshal Choe Ryong Hae, a senior Workers' Party official and the military's top political officer, is taking place as tensions ease somewhat on the Korean Peninsula after near-daily vows from North Korea to attack the US and South Korea in March and April.
North Korea also revealed yesterday that a former defense minister, Kim Kyok Sik, was promoted chief of the Korean People's Army in the latest in a series of high-level military reshuffles as Kim Jong Un elevates a new generation of military leaders.
The last high-level North Korea-China meeting took place when Party chief Xi Jinping, now China's president, sent a Politburo member to Pyongyang in November. Weeks later, North Korea launched a long-range rocket, followed by an underground nuclear test in February. That test, the country's third, drew tougher sanctions by the UN and United States.
Showing its displeasure with North Korea over its nuclear test, China tightened inspections on cross-border trade and its state banks have halted business with North Korea's Foreign Trade Bank.
"The North Korean side has been feeling China's pressure," said Ma Xiaojun, a North Korea watcher at the Central Party School in Beijing.
China's point man
"Our policies and stance have tended to be tougher and more clearly express our unhappiness and displeasure," said Ma. He added, quoting President Xi, "causing trouble on China's doorstep is not right, and China will not tolerate it."
Immediately after landing in Beijing, Choe went to see Wang Jiarui, head of the Chinese Communist Party's International Department and long the point man for China's dealings with North Korea.
Choe may be paving the way for a visit by Kim Jong Un, who has not been to Beijing since taking power. His father, Kim Jong Il, visited China in 2011.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei reiterated that Beijing is committed to seeing North Korea denuclearize while maintaining regional stability.
Last week, a Japanese envoy traveled to Pyongyang for discussions about the decades-old abductions of its citizens by North Korea. After the envoy's return, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he would be open to a summit with Kim Jong Un if it would lead to a breakthrough.
Other countries are worried about focusing on Japanese abductions. Glyn Davies, the US special representative for North Korea policy, warned that North Korea might be trying to use talks with Japan to drive a wedge between the policies of Tokyo, Washington and Seoul.
During a summit with US President Barack Obama this month, South Korean President Park Geun-hye laid out her policy of building trust with North Korea. Her office said she may travel to China next month.
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