China’s envoy with the ‘thankless task’ of tackling North Korea
Wu Dawei is Beijing’s veteran point man with Pyongyang, but he appears to have been sidelined by the reclusive state during the latest crisis over its weapons programme
The travels and travails of China’s veteran point man on North Korea underscore China’s growing frustration in its efforts to broker a negotiated solution to rising tensions between North Korea and the United States.
Wu Dawei, 70, spent an unusually long five days in Seoul last week. He met with presidential candidates as well as South Korea’s chief nuclear envoy, partly in a bid to ease tensions as a US aircraft carrier group headed towards the region ahead of US Vice-President Mike’s Pence’s visit this week.
But Wu had not been able to confirm plans to visit North Korea, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency quoted a diplomatic source as saying: “I understand the Chinese side is asking, but the North is not replying.”
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said on Monday he had no information to share about any such visit, adding that “China and the DPRK maintain the tradition of friendly exchanges”.
The last time Wu visited Pyongyang in early February last year his job was to urge restraint after North Korea announced a plan to put a satellite into orbit with a long-range rocket. Two days after his return to Beijing, North Korea launched the rocket, widely viewed as a ballistic missile test in disguise, further ratcheting up tensions on the Korean peninsula.