Page 229 - Trilateral Korea Japan U.S. Cooperation

his visit to Beijing has led many to the (logical) conclusion
that Chinese President Xi Jinping gave Putin the “green light”
to invade. Either that, or Putin played Xi for a fool. Either
explanation diminishes Xi’s standing in the international
community.

One can also argue (as I among others have) that it was the
collapse of the Soviet Union that helped persuade Pyongyang
to try to improve relations with Seoul, Tokyo, and especially
Washington to avoid becoming overly reliant on China. While
both describe their relationship as “close as lips to teeth,” the
truth is, in all my numerous dealings with North Koreans, I
have never heard one have a positive thing to say about China.
To the contrary, I have witnessed open disrespect and derision
toward China coming from North Korean colleagues during
international conferences and seminars on several occasions.
This is why Russia’s return to the fold is troublesome not only
for the West but for China too. It reduces China’s leverage
over Pyongyang and makes it more likely that Kim Jong-Un
will do things that irritate Beijing or prove counterproductive
to its interests (a renewal of nuclear testing, if it occurs, will be
one such example).

Deterring Pyongyang and Dissuading Beijing (and Moscow)

This is not to imply that the trilateral U.S., South Korea,
Japan relationship is all hugs and roses. Each of their three
sets of bilateral relationships has its own challenges and few
would dispute that the Japan-South Korea relationship is
the weakest link. But the three, especially after the Camp

Chapter Fourteen : Standing Firm Against North Korea-China Challenges 229