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By Park Min-hee, Beijing correspondent

After 40 days of diplomatic wrangling in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) following North Korea’s December long-range rocket launch, a resolution that expanded existing sanctions against the North was finally passed. What observers are curious to know is why China, the country that is North Korea‘s biggest supporter and ally, cast a vote in favor of the resolution.

China’s position was the key variable in the resolution’s passing. After North Korea launched a long-range rocket on Dec. 12, 2012, the US and China entered a tug of war over the format and specifics of the sanctions. While China agreed with the US and South Korea in opposing North Korea’s rocket launch, it maintained that additional sanctions would not only provoke North Korea but also make it more difficult to find a solution to the situation on the Korean peninsula. With South Korea and the US insisting that harsher sanctions were necessary, the New Year came and went without the parties able to reach a compromise.

Even after the US and China started the negotiation process on Jan. 8, China advocated adopting a presidential statement, which lacks any legal authority, just as was done after the North Korean missile launch in April 2012. China suggested only adding to the blacklist, reports indicate.

“China proposed debating the specifics of the sanctions before deciding on the format [whether it would be a resolution or a presidential statement] after that,” said Kim Sook, South Korea’s ambassador to the UN, on Jan. 22 (local time). “The US indicated, however, that if they couldn’t agree upon issuing a resolution, there would be no deliberation about the content. In this sense, China accepted the American position,” Sook said.

It appears that China’s decision to support the resolution was motivated by a wish to work with the second-term Obama administration in the US and the new South Korean government. This allowed Chinese leader Xi Jinping to send a signal that he will strengthen cooperation with the US, in areas where it is possible. It also revealed his intention to adopt a new role on the UNSC and on the international stage as one of the world’s two most powerful countries, the so-called G2.

This also hints that the new Chinese leader wants to avoid worsening relations between China and South Korea, as could happen if China keeps making excuses for North Korea. Amid a complicated political situation that includes conflict with Southeast Asian countries in the South China Sea, a tussle with Japan over the Diaoyu Islands, and the US pivot to Asia and its China containment policy, China is sending a message that it intends to use the beginning of the Park Geun-hye administration as an opportunity to strengthen its relations with South Korea.

“After Xi Jinping takes over as China’s new leader, the country appears to be thinking about improving relations with the US and South Korea and strengthening its role on the international stage,” said a diplomatic source in Beijing.

“In addition, China’s vote to approve the resolution was likely informed by the fact that North Korea’s missile launch violated previous resolutions passed by the UNSC. Furthermore, other countries opposition to the North’s development of nuclear weapons and missiles was consistent with China’s own position.”

However, the source said, “We cannot assume that China’s policy toward North Korea has changed fundamentally. China will continue to oppose any measures that could threaten the stability of the North Korean regime.”

In fact, during the negotiations, the US and other countries attempted to increase sanctions against North Korea, while China focused on reducing the severity of the sanctions so as not to provoke North Korea excessively.

After the resolution passed, Chinese ambassador to the UN Li Baodong said, “The initial draft prepared by the UNSC contained a number of sanctions, but China believed that such measures would not be helpful in defusing the situation and would only cause harm to the North Korean economy and the lives of its people. As a result of more than a month of protracted negotiations, these provisions were removed from the final draft of the resolution.”

“UNSC Resolution 2078 is the result of long deliberation by the parties involved, and as such it is carefully balanced,” said Qin Gang, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry on Jan. 23.

Citing articles 14 and 15 of the resolution, which press the North to refrain from actions that heighten tensions and call for a resumption of the six-party talks, Qin said, “This resolution shows our desire for a peaceful resolution to the situation on the Korean peninsula through dialogue and discussion and called for definite action, including the reopening of the six-party talks.” China once more emphasized the necessity for dialogue, including the resumption of the six-party talks.

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