Keep up the sanctions against North Korea, former diplomats say
Pressure still needed to stop Pyongyang reverting back to ‘bad behaviour’, they warn, even after Kim Jong-un’s visit to Beijing and apparent easing of tensions
Former diplomats from South Korea and the US called on China to maintain sanctions against Pyongyang, after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s inaugural visit to Beijing appeared to reset friendly ties between the two countries.
“China played a very important role in making or forcing North Korea to come this far,” Yun said at an Asia Society event in Hong Kong. “We have to maintain … sanctions to the end of the vision we have, the objective we have, which is the final dismantlement of North Korea nuclear weapons.”
It comes after an apparent easing of long-standing tensions on the Korean peninsula, with Kim’s first overseas visit to Beijing culminating in his “unswerving stance” to work towards denuclearisation, China’s state-run news agency Xinhua reported.
While the last year saw escalations over Pyongyang’s continued nuclear ambitions, analysts say economic sanctions from China and other nations in response have taken their toll on the reclusive authoritarian state, reaching the point where the idea of denuclearisation can even enter the official lexicon. China’s measures have been particularly painful, since its imports make up over 90 per cent of its northern neighbour’s total trade.
Daniel Russel, former US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, also warned at the Asia Society event that sanctions must continue to prevent North Korea from reverting back to its “bad behaviour”, referring to its missile and nuclear programmes.