North Korea Watch: Japan Demands Vote on United Nations Resolution
A South Korean protester holds anti-North Korean banners during an anti-North Korea rally in front of Foreign Ministry in Seoul, Thursday, July 13, 2006. North Korea blamed South Korea for the collapse Thursday of high-level talks held in the wake of the communist nation’s internationally condemned missile launches, claiming Seoul will pay for the meeting’s failure. The Korean read ‘ Punish the North Korea’s missiles.’
AP: Japan seeks vote on N.Korea resolution
The U.S. nuclear envoy said Thursday that Washington was likely to give Chinese diplomatic efforts over North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs only a few more days before pushing for a tough U.N. resolution.
“My sense is we’re down to a number of days,” U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill told reporters in Beijing.
His comments came as Japan pressed for a vote on its resolution threatening sanctions for the North’s missiles tests last week, while China and Russia introduced a rival proposal, intensifying jockeying over a unified response.
And does anyone (except the New York Times) expect China to be an “Honest Broker”?
Backers of the Japanese-sponsored resolution had agreed to postpone a vote to give Beijing time to lobby Pyongyang to return to six-party nuclear disarmament talks and declare a moratorium on missile tests. But North Korea appears to have rejected diplomatic overtures by a Chinese delegation, including nuclear negotiator Wu Dawei, that is visiting Pyongyang.
“So far they don’t seem to be interested in listening, much less doing anything to address the situation,” Hill said at a separate briefing.
China’s U.N. ambassador, Wang Guangya, said the delegation, which will return Friday, delivered a message from China’s leaders expressing concern over the tests “and also what we considered the North Koreans should do to make diplomacy succeed.”
But Wang said they had not received any feedback.
China has until Friday PM to announce some “break through”. Otherwise, Japan’s Chapter 7 resolution should be scheduled for a vote on Monday morning. Yesterday’s substitute resolution by China and Russia is too weak.
Japan demanded a prompt U.N. vote on its proposal for sanctions and possible military action.
“There is no change to our view that the resolution incorporating sanctions should be voted on promptly,” Chief Cabinet Shinzo Abe said in Tokyo, without giving a deadline. “We cannot be pushed around by intentions to diminish or delay” action against North Korea.
Japan will NOT accept delay and obfuscation like the P-5-Plus-1 Iran nucelar talks.
If China wishes to VETO the resolution then so be it. If they can work out a “last minute” face saving deal with Kim Jong-Il that is acceptable to the United States and Japan then fine but no more delays.
Tick Tick Tick
China and North Korea have until Friday.
Stay tuned……
Previous:
North Korea Watch: China and Russia Introduce Rival “Weakened†North Korea Resolution
North Korea Watch: North Korea Failing to Respond to China’s Diplomatic Efforts
North Korea Watch: North Korea States Conditions for Return to Talks
North Korea Watch: United Nations Security Council Vote on North Korea Postponed
North Korea Watch: China Asks Japan to Postpone United Nations Resolution
North Korea Watch: Japan Considers Pre-emptive Strike Against North Korea
Technorati Tags: NorthKorea, KimJongIl, MissileDefenseAgency
One Comment
john Carey
The Tail Is Wagging The Dog:
China’s Leverage Is an Illusion
By Nayan Chanda, Yale University
New Haven, USA – Despite constant talk about Chinese leverage over North Korea, the reality may just be the opposite. Given China’s huge stake in security along its eastern border and the unpredictability of a nuclear-armed North Korea, the Beijing-Pyongyang relationship appears to be one in which the tail is wagging the dog.
To be sure, China can halt the trains that regularly carry food and fuel to the intransigent socialist brother. But such an action could have unpredictable and undesirable consequences for China. If Chinese pressure resulted in a peaceful collapse of the regime, it would release a human wave of starving refugees across the border and into the Sea of Japan. An international humanitarian intervention in a chaotic North Korea or a rushed reunification with the South might ensue, which could bring American or other foreign forces right up to the Chinese border — a dreaded prospect for Beijing.
The launch of the long-range Taepodong 2 missile may have been a flop, but by firing six short-range missiles in quick succession in the darkness of night, North Korea has basically put Beijing as well as Seoul and Tokyo on notice about its mischief-making capacity.
Fully aware that the Chinese Politburo is as worried as he is, if not more so, about the collapse of his regime, the Dear Leader could afford to ignore Beijing’s warnings. The impact of the missile launches so far has been to galvanize China to lobby for more of what Kim wants — direct talks with the U.S.
North Korea wants U.S. recognition as a nuclear power and would never give up nuclear weapons as the ultimate guarantor of regime security. For the right price, however, it would keep its missiles in the hangar. China ideally would like Kim not to have the nukes, but it could certainly live with a better-behaved nuclear North Korea.
Nayan Chanda is at the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization.
http://peace-and-freedom.blogspot.com/