Xi Jinping Visits North Korea Without Mentioning Denuclearization; Experts Say China Prioritizes Stability

(CNA, Taipei, 10th) Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded his visit to North Korea yesterday. During this trip, both Chinese and North Korean media reports emphasized that the two sides would jointly promote greater cooperation, without mentioning North Korea's nuclear weapons program. Deutsche Welle quoted an analysis by a Chinese expert stating that China is gradually adopting a new set of priorities: first stability, then denuclearization.

The report points out that a noteworthy aspect of the official media reports from China and North Korea is the complete lack of mention of North Korea's nuclear weapons program. This is different from Xi Jinping's 2019 visit to North Korea. At that time, Chinese media reported that Xi stated Beijing was willing to play a constructive role on the issue of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

After the Trump-Xi meeting in Beijing last month, the White House claimed that both sides confirmed their common goal of North Korea's denuclearization. However, the Chinese side only stated that the two had consulted on the nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula.

On the eve of Xi Jinping's recent visit to North Korea, North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un inspected a newly operational nuclear materials factory and vowed to advance the country's nuclear capabilities 'exponentially.' His sister, Kim Yo Jong, described the nuclear state line as an 'absolutely non-negotiable bottom line.'

On the 9th, when asked at a press conference if China had de facto recognized North Korea's 'status as a nuclear-armed state,' South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Park Il stated that denuclearization is a consistently held goal of the international community, and the Chinese side has also reiterated that its position on the Korean Peninsula issue remains unchanged.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian stated at a regular press conference this week that China's position and policy on the peninsula issue maintain continuity and stability. Yonhap News Agency reported that the South Korean government is paying attention to the fact that while China emphasizes its existing position remains unchanged, it has recently used the term 'denuclearization' less frequently in its external communications.

Deutsche Welle pointed to an analysis article by Zheng Jiyong, dean of the Institute of Country and Regional Studies at Tianjin Foreign Studies University, published by the Brookings Institution in April this year. It states that given North Korea's nuclear capabilities have increasingly become part of the Pyongyang regime's legitimacy and national security, China is gradually adopting a new set of priorities: first stability, and then denuclearization.

In his analysis, Zheng Jiyong wrote that this is not equivalent to recognizing North Korea as a legitimate nuclear-armed state, but rather that China believes that rigidly pushing a denuclearization-first stance is not practical and could endanger regional security. He stated that, in Beijing's view, over-emphasizing denuclearization at the current stage would not only intensify Pyongyang's resistance but also increase the risk of escalating conflict. (Edited by: Chu Chien-ling / Chen Kai-yu) 1150610