Beijing’s leadership offers the best chance of resolving the North Korean missile crisis
Tom Manning says though China’s leverage over Pyongyang is likely to have been overestimated, it remains the leading actor in this crisis – Asia’s most powerful nation has the credibility and diplomatic skills needed to step up
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Collateral effects would also be costly – fleeing North Korean refugees would strain China’s resources, and Chinese citizens working in North Korea could be injured or killed in military exchanges, which could give rise to sudden and hard-to-control animosity across China. The initial anger would focus on the US, but the situation could easily become unwieldy and place Beijing in an untenable position of needing to show restraint while also needing to flash its strength in order to protect its image at home. If the US forces somehow succeeded in bringing about regime change, eventual occupation of North Korea by American and South Korean military forces would redraw the power structure of North Asia in ways unhelpful to China.
Importantly, China can provide the leadership required to address this crisis before it grows even worse. First, China enjoys credibility with all the countries in question, including North Korea, even if its actual influence is somewhat overestimated.
Second, as the most powerful nation in Asia, China has a perfect opportunity to step forward as a thoughtful, responsible steward of the region’s stability and prosperity – a demonstration that will not be lost on China’s neighbours, who are assessing China’s influence and its impact on them.
Finally, China’s skills at diplomacy and collaboration fit well with the situation, which requires deft handling.
One option China might choose is to suggest that the original parties to the six-party talks return to the table to pursue a multistep process of de-escalation, cooperation and development. This is a positive action that could relieve tensions and ensure that all actors develop a common understanding of the situation.
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In a first step to de-escalate the situation, China could request that North Korea stop further provocation of the US by halting additional missile tests, while also asking the US and South Korea to refrain from further joint military exercises. Getting North Korea to see the wisdom of this request will require wielding both a carrot and a stick. This means a balance of offering rewards and threatening sanctions, involving just China or alongside the other nations. Whether the countries will accept the idea of providing inducements to a rogue and noisy neighbour will prove a major obstacle and a test of Chinese diplomacy.
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Cooperation could be the essential second step of China’s approach – not only because China rarely wants to act alone, but because this challenge is too big for any one actor and requires collaboration. China will certainly enlist the help of Russia, a good friend in matters of this kind, and, conveniently, a counterweight to the US. Of course, restarting multi-party talks would be the central theme in a Chinese proposal, but initiating the idea with the US, South Korea, Japan and Russia is the first and most achievable step. Arguably, without this platform, very little bargaining can be achieved with North Korea.
The third step could easily involve China’s most accomplished skill – economic development – which North Korea needs desperately. It would be reasonable to expect China to propose a medium-to-long-range economic development plan to help the North Korean economy, possibly defining an enlarged demilitarised region, as a first step, supplemented by the creation of special economic zones, which proved hugely successful to China’s own development. The restarted six-party talks would then be likely to identify strategic industries in which companies from the five nations would eventually participate as part of a tailored Marshall Plan for North Korea.
China holds the key to resolve this difficult situation – if it chooses to use its diplomatic skill and economic capability, and its ability to provide enlightened leadership in a crisis of this importance.
Tom Manning is an adjunct faculty member of the University of Chicago Law School, a strategy adviser, corporate board director and long-time resident of Hong Kong