| The US turned to China for support Having put aside work on the second resolution on Iraq for a while, US Secretary of State Colin Powell went on a tour of the Far East - he was expected in Tokyo, Beijing and Seoul. The centerpiece of this tour was China. Unlike Tokyo and Seoul, Beijing is not allied with Washington. However, only China, with its real influence on the DPRK, is capable of forcing Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear ambitions. And as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, Beijing can use its veto power and block America's use of force against Baghdad.
Powell's negotiations with the new Secretary General of the CPC Central Committee, Hu Jintao, who in a few weeks will replace Jiang Zemin as Chairman of the People's Republic of China, were devoted to both the DPRK and Iraq. Hu Jintao said that China "consistently demands that Iraq comprehensively, strictly and practically implement the UN Security Council resolutions banning the development of weapons of mass destruction" and advocates solving the Iraqi problem through "political methods." The new leader of the Middle Kingdom called the presence of nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula “unacceptable,” pointing to dialogue and consultation as the most effective method of resolving the Korean nuclear crisis. “We hope for the earliest possible start of direct dialogue between the United States and the DPRK,” Hu Jintao emphasized.
The US wants China to be more involved in resolving the Korean crisis without slowing down its plans for Iraq. At the final press conference, Powell said that the Chinese understand American “interests” regarding the DPRK and are even “very determined to play a useful role in accordance with their capabilities,” but do not want to discuss it publicly. In Iraqi affairs, the American “considered it inappropriate” to encourage the PRC to support a new resolution, the draft of which has not been presented.
The challenges facing Powell are not easy to solve. On Saturday, the American convinced Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi that “the time for action has come in the matter of disarmament of Iraq.” In response, Washington’s loyal allies evasively stated that Tokyo does not have a clear position regarding US support in the event of war, because “the time for making final decisions has not yet come.” Alexander SAMOKHOTKIN |
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