hankyoreh

On Nov. 12, US President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a summit in Beijing, China. At the meeting, held a year and five months after the summit in June 2013 that heralded the age of two superpowers (G2), there were no signs of change in the existing pattern of competition and cooperation between the two countries.

Once again, Xi put the focus on forging a “new type of great power relationship” and called for an honest discussion of the fundamental issues, but he failed to receive an enthusiastic response from Obama. The US president went no further than reconfirming the standard US position that it has no intention to counter or constrain China.

It was also apparent that the two countries have different views on a number of problems, including the democracy movement in Hong Kong, cyber security, territorial claims to islands in the East and South China Seas, China‘s human rights record, and the independence movements in Tibet and Xinjiang.

China’s state-run media were united in attacking Obama’s policy of rebalancing to Asia, suggesting that fierce competition between the two countries will continue.

Nevertheless, the two countries were able to cooperate on issues that do not have a major effect on the US-centered hegemonic structure.

For the first time, China offered a specific plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, a cause championed by Obama. The two countries reached an agreement on fighting terrorism, responding to the Ebola virus, and eliminating customs duties on IT products, and they also found common ground in making a joint effort to prevent unintended armed clashes on land and by sea.

Considering that Obama has effectively entered the lame duck period of his presidency, the agreements he reached can be seen as significant.

Disappointingly, the two countries did not say anything of substance about the North Korean nuclear issue - the most important issue for Korea - only reiterating the goal of bringing about the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. Xi emphasized the importance of moving quickly to resume the six-party talks without offering any specific plan to do so, while Obama remained within the framework of the US policy of strategic patience.

Considering that the North Korean nuclear issue received the most attention during the previous meeting in June 2013, it can be inferred that momentum for resolving the issue has slowed. The implication is that, as long as no further incidents occur on the Korean peninsula, China and the US will focus more on maintaining the status quo and managing the present situation.

Now, the role of South Korea is more important than ever. South Korea’s first priority is to act as a catalyst to keep the rivalry between the US and China from going too far. In place of the simplistic approach of working with the US for security and with China for the economy, South Korea needs to create a framework in which these partners can survive and thrive together.

In regard to the North Korean nuclear issue, it is becoming clear that it will be effectively impossible to find a solution as long as we do not take the initiative. Now is the time for new ideas and fresh energy.

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]