hankyoreh

By Park Hyun and Seong Yeon-cheol, Washington and Beijing correspondents

Fang Fenghui, Chief of the General Staff of the Chinese military, said that North Korea could carry out a fourth nuclear weapons test, strongly urging regional parties to engage in talks to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue.

On Apr. 22, Fang held a joint press conference following a meeting with Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of staff, who was on a visit to China. “To summarize the present situation, North Korea carried out a third nuclear test, and it is possible that they will carry out a fourth test,” Fang warned. “We ask all sides to work actively to work on the North Koreans to stop nuclear tests and stop producing nuclear weapons. Denuclearization of the Korean peninsula is in the interest of everyone. We hope that the problem will be resolved through resuming the six-party talks.”

It is unusual for a high-ranking leader in the Chinese military to make a comment such as this. Taking into account the possibility that Fang has received sensitive military intelligence about North Korea, some are speculating that North Korea is starting to make more definite preparations for an additional nuclear test.

Chinese media are reporting that Fang made no mention of any evidence for a fourth nuclear test, or what the timing of such a test might be.

Fang’s remarks can be interpreted as delivering a strong warning to North Korea that it must not conduct another nuclear test or take any other military action, while at the same time reiterating China’s standard position that the members of the six-party talks must resolve the North Korean nuclear issue through dialogue.

As of late, the US and China have both been making efforts to coax North Korea back into the six-party talks or some other form of dialogue. John Kerry, US Secretary of State, proposed talks with North Korea on his recent tour of Northeast Asia. Following this, Wu Dawei, special representative for North Korea policy for China (the chair of the six-party talks), made a surprise visit to Washington from Apr. 21 to Apr. 24. On Apr. 22, Wu met Glyn Davies, the US Department of State’s special representative for North Korea. When reporters asked Wu about the outcome of the meeting, he briefly responded that this was just the beginning.

During Wu’s visit to the US, he is planning to meet various senior figures in the US Department of State, including Joseph Yun, the acting assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific affairs, and Wendy Sherman, the undersecretary for political affairs.

The buzz in the Washington diplomatic community is that the main agenda for the meeting on Apr. 22 was probably about how to resume talks with North Korea. The US has already requested that North Korea take measures that show it intends to abandon its nuclear program as a precondition for talks.

The question is what China’s plan might be. It is assumed that Wu communicated this plan to his counterparts in the US government. “China has become more proactive in creating a situation that fosters dialogue on the Korean peninsula,” said a diplomatic source. “The US will also consent to China’s proposal if it deems it to be acceptable.”

But North Korea once again indicated that it is unwilling to accept denuclearization and honoring agreements, which the US has identified as preconditions for dialogue.

“There is nothing more arrogant and audacious than insisting that negotiations cannot take place until the opposing side lays down its weapons first in a hostile situation that could erupt at any minute,” the state-run Korea Central News Agency said on Apr. 23, making clear that, at least for now, the North is not willing to take part in talks.

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