North Korea sanctions: China opposes additional UN Security Council sanctions… Why before the Olympics?

Attempts by the UN Security Council to impose additional sanctions on North Korea were thwarted by opposition from China and Russia.

It is reported that China delayed the adoption of the US proposal ahead of a closed-door meeting of the Security Council on the 20th (local time).

Earlier, the United States requested the Security Council to impose additional sanctions at the Security Council level on five North Koreans belonging to the North Korean Academy of Defense Science. It is interpreted as a response to North Korea’s successive ballistic missile launches.

Additional sanctions are possible through unanimous consent of the five permanent and ten non-permanent members of the North Korea Sanctions Committee under the Security Council.

Following China, Russia is known to have delivered the same opinion. China and Russia have always opposed the adoption of resolutions on North Korea within the Security Council.

When the additional sanctions failed, the United Nations ambassadors from eight countries, including the United States, Britain, France, and Japan, issued a joint statement and called for additional sanctions, saying, “All member countries should unite in condemning North Korea’s violations of Security Council resolutions.”

In particular, he said that he would continue to openly oppose North Korea’s actions, saying, “North Korea’s illegal acts, which have continued four times in the new year, are a threat to international peace and security.”

In addition, in a joint statement on the 20th (local time), a day before the U.S.-Japan video summit, the two countries announced, “In accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions, we will promote the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization (CVID) of North Korea’s nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction and facilities.” I make a strong commitment to

“We urge North Korea to abide by all UN Security Council resolutions and to comply with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards as soon as possible.”

As North Korea has already launched four ballistic missiles in the new year, attention is being drawn to China’s intention to oppose additional sanctions.

On the 20th, it is reported that China expressed its position that the United States should give up on the all-around theory of sanctions against North Korea and resolve the security threat felt by North Korea in a phone call with the chief representative of North Korea-China nuclear negotiations on the 20th.

According to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China’s special representative for the Korean Peninsula, Liu Xiaoming, said on the same day, “It has been proven that sanctions against North Korea alone will not solve the problem and will only intensify confrontation and tension.” It has to be made,” he said.

“China supports improving inter-Korean relations and supports South Korea’s positive role in issues on the Korean Peninsula,” he said.

It is interpreted as a declaration of intention to continue to maintain an engagement with North Korea in the face of increasingly intensifying strategic competition between the United States and China.

Lee Tae-hwan, an honorary research fellow at the Sejong Institute, told BBC Korea, “Now, China is in a situation where all political schedules, including successful hosting of the Olympics and two meetings, need to go smoothly in order to achieve the goal of President Xi Jinping’s third term.”

“To this end, it is the position that maintaining and stabilizing the situation on the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia is in China’s interest,” he said. .

“We expect North Korea to refrain from provocations during the Olympics and two sessions by maintaining a position of advocating for North Korea and maintaining relations with necessary emergency medicines and aid for daily necessities,” he said. It is not in China’s interest to assemble,” he said.

Some analysts say that China is well aware that North Korea will not stop provocations just because it imposes additional sanctions.

Lee Dong-ryul, a professor of Chinese language and Chinese language at Dongduk Women’s University, said, “China’s argument is to refrain from actions that aggravate each other’s situation.”

It is said that they do not want the situation on the Korean Peninsula to deteriorate as it is evaluated that the Olympic specialties will not be enjoyed as expected due to the corona situation.

Professor Lee also pointed out, “China will persuade North Korea internally, but as there is a limit to its aid to North Korea, there is no other way for China to do so.”

The prevailing view is that North Korea will refrain from provocations during the Beijing Olympics. It is analyzed that it will not touch the heart of China.

Shin Beom-cheol, head of the Center for Foreign Affairs and Security at the Institute of Economics and Social Sciences, predicted this, saying, “As the last four launches are short-range ballistic missiles, it is not a problem for China.”

He also predicted, “Since China’s intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch is on the ‘red line’, even if it provocations, it will be done after the Winter Olympics.”

“Right now, North Korea is taking advantage of the situation on the Korean Peninsula in a cool way,” he said. “It is difficult to actively develop external relations due to the corona virus, and the US-China rivalry and the worsening of relations between the US and the U.S. They are showing calculated steps.”

“For the time being, the strong-willed phase between North Korea and North Korea will continue,” he added.