Page 16 - Trilateral Korea Japan U.S. Cooperation

INTRODUCTION

South Korea, Japan, and the United States, individually and
collectively through efforts like the Six-Party Talks, have tried
for decades to engage China in working toward a solution
to the challenges posed by North Korea. These efforts were
based on the belief that, without China’s assistance (or at
least concurrence), no solution was possible when it came to
dealing with a myriad of North Korean challenges, including
(but not limited to) Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile threats
and its human rights abuses against its own people. I believe
this premise was and is still correct.

Unfortunately, there was an unspoken second premise,
namely that Beijing was interested in working with Seoul,
Tokyo, and Washington in ensuring peace and stability on
the Korean Peninsula, given our overlapping near- and mid-
term objectives: none of us wants to see a war of any sort on
the Peninsula, much less a nuclear war which could draw all of
our nations into an unwanted conflict; North Korean nuclear
proliferation poses a global threat, as does the potential fallout
from a nuclear accident, especially if Pyongyang resumes
nuclear weapons testing; and, from a Chinese perspective,
North Korea’s threatening behavior provides justification
for strengthening the U.S.-South Korea and U.S.-Japan
alliances, including a fortified U.S. military presence (including
missile defenses), which Beijing believes could just as easily
be directed against China – in fact, most Chinese will tell you
(incorrectly) that they already are.

Chapter One : Dealing with North Korea-China Challenges 15