The Spoiled Child

WikiLeaks released secret United States diplomatic files revealing that when the Korean peninsula faced a new wave of crises because of the shelling by North Korea of Yin Ping Island, a certain Chinese official described North Korea as “a spoiled child.” However, because China and North Korea continue to share mutual interests, such a revelation might have embarrassed Beijing, but it will not greatly impact the alliance between Beijing and Pyongyang. The Chinese official quoted in the declassified documents was then-Chinese deputy foreign minister, He Yafei, who was talking to U.S. officials in private.

In fact, North Korea did not give prior notice to Beijing before carrying out the nuclear test in 2006, angering Chinese leaders. Because of this, a closer relationship between South Korea and China began to develop. Some Chinese foreign ministry officials believe that North Korea poses a threat to China, and it is not surprising that they support unification of the Korean Peninsula with South Korean leadership. When Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei was asked about this issue, he did not deny the content revealed on WikiLeaks, and said, “We hope the U.S. side will properly handle relevant issues.” This essentially is evidence of the document’s authenticity.

However, things might not be the same as they were. China wanted to distance itself from “the spoiled child” in 2006 during North Korea’s nuclear test, but that does not mean that China continues to hold the same position now. And this is due to the increase in U.S. military presence in East Asia, [a response to] increased tension on the Korean peninsula this year. The alliance of the U.S. with Japan and South Korea has also threatened China.

Moreover, in recent years, communication has strengthened between Beijing and Pyongyang. The DPRK Supreme People’s Assembly Speaker Cuitai Fu’s visit to Beijing on Tuesday — he is the most senior official to visit China after the shelling incident — highlighted the high level of the interactions between these two nations. To Beijing, notwithstanding, “the spoiled child,” North Korea, is preferable to the U.S. — an external threat.