Great Wall of China

By B. J. Lee | Newsweek Web Exclusive

May 21, 2010

 

For South Koreans, it's official: North Koreans sank their warship Cheonan on March 26, killing 46 Southern sailors onboard. The evidence leaves little doubt. And with this clarity comes the realization that, after 10 years of engagement and aid, North Korea remains a dangerously irrational and belligerent country, willing to gamble that it can disrupt peace on the Korean peninsula at no cost. Problem is, there's nothing South Koreans can do about it—even they've faced the facts—because China is standing in the way.

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What South Korea wants is to ostracize the North, elicit a reprimand from the United Nations, and possibly even enact international sanctions. (They have not talked openly about military retribution.) But while China is the South's biggest trading partner, largest investment destination, and a close ally, its government is hearing none of it. In fact, China will always favor the North and turn a blind eye to its antics. After all, they are socialist allies who fought alongside each other during the Korean War.
The willingness to indulge the North was evident right away. First, Beijing refused to criticize Pyongyang after the attack, and now authorities continue to bite their tongues even after the joint probe produced seemingly incontrovertible evidence linking the Stalinist regime with the sinking. The investigation recovered parts of a torpedo at the sinking site that had North Korean writing. Its structure was identical to a blueprint shown on a brochure the North put out to export its torpedoes. Immediately after the announcement, the U.S. and Japan issued sharp criticism of the North, but China called on all parties to "stay calm and exercise restraint."
Beijing also flummoxed Seoul early this month with its warm reception of Kim Jong Il, during the dictator's visit to China just five weeks after the Cheonan sinking, when all of South Korea was mourning the deaths. Furious, the South Korean government summoned China's ambassador to a minister's office and chewed him out. Southern authorities were particularly upset that the Chinese didn't even bother to tell President Lee Myung-bak of Kim's upcoming visit when the South Korean leader visited China three days before his northern counterpart.