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Politics : American Presidential Politics and foreign affairs -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Peter Dierks who wrote (12844)	10/9/2006 12:44:38 PM
From: Peter Dierks	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 71588

China losing face after 'brazen test' Rowan Callick, China correspondent October 10, 2006 THE timing of North Korea's nuclear test could hardly have been worse for China, coming in the middle of a crucial meeting of the 350 members of the Communist Party's central committee that is focused on the need to create a "harmonious socialist society". Beijing's leaders were looking for a quiet international environment to enable them to reshape China's priorities to achieve their ambitious agenda - replacing many top officials, focusing on rural development and deflating economic growth expectations in order to reduce the surging wealth gap. Hence, in part, the olive branch handed out to new Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the weekend. China's new direction for the next decade or more, plotted by President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao, will be set out at the next five-yearly party congress, in a year's time. They want no disruption to their program, at home - thus their sacking of senior officials including the Shanghai party chief - or in the neighbourhood. But now North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il has hurled them a grim challenge. China made huge sacrifices for the defence of North Korea half a century ago, during which Mao Zedong lost a son. It supplies the country with its key requirements for oil and food, with total aid worth an annual $1.3 billion. China has been helping shield Pyongyang from the consequences of its own maverick behaviour, through its co-ordination of the six-party talks process that began three years ago, but which has been stalled for a year. This process had held out hopes of a rational resolution to international concerns about the nuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, but now appears all but dead. Consequently, China faces considerable loss of face - in the region and even to a degree at home. China's leverage over its old communist ally has dwindled to very little. Thus it was no surprise that when Beijing received from Pyongyang 20 minutes' advance notice of the test yesterday, it appears to have swiftly passed the warning on to Japan's Defence Agency. Then a Foreign Ministry statement was read out on the midday TV bulletins saying China "resolutely opposes" the test, and stressing that "upholding the stability of northeast Asia is in the interests of all parties". A statement on the Foreign Ministry's website put it more strongly, saying that North Korea "has ignored the widespread opposition of the international community and conducted a nuclear test brazenly". Commentator Frank Zhou says on the Carter Centre's website that as a result of failing to rein in Pyongyang "China will lose credibility and some lustre in the global hall of powers". Beijing is thus pinning much of its hopes on the UN, signing up to a tough Security Council statement on Friday warning of the consequences of a test, and strongly backing South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon as the next secretary-general. China dreads a nuclear arms race in the region, with Japan and even South Korea in strong economic positions to arm themselves. Thus Beijing is talking constantly and positively with Tokyo and Seoul, and with Washington - aware that ultimately, probably through the UN, China and the US will have to work in step to prevent escalation. theaustralian.news.com.au