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18 Friday International Friday, January 11, 2019 China: The not-so invisible hand in US-N Korea talks China has regularly played diplomatic wingman to North Korea BEIJING: By hosting North Korean leader Kim Jong is intent on keeping Pyongyang within its sphere of Un for a fourth time, China has signaled again that it influence — the North acts as a buffer state, keeping will not be sidelined in the diplomatic dance between the 28,500 US troops in South Korea far from its Cold War-era ally and Washington. With another China’s borders. Following their meeting in Singapore nuclear summit looming between Kim and US Pres- where Kim and Trump signed a vaguely-worded ident Donald Trump, a meeting between President Xi document pledging work towards the “denuclearisa- Jinping and the North Korean leader was inevitable, tion of the Korean peninsula”, progress has stalled, according to analysts. It has become something of a with Pyongyang and Washington unable to agree on ritual: Last year, Kim briefed Xi before and after his what that means. historic summits with Trump and South Korean Pres- ident Moon Jae-in. Security guarantee China, which wouldn’t want to be left out in the North Korea also needs to stay close to its cold in any settlement, has worked to improve re- Korea War ally if diplomacy fails. Trump’s with- lations with its neighbor, which deteriorated after drawal from the Iran nuclear deal and Libyan leader Beijing backed UN sanctions against North Moamer Kadhafi’s ouster after giving up his own Korea. While Beijing has been angered by Kim’s weapons program are not distant memories. China nuclear tests, it would not be happy to see its could provide economic, political and security decades-old ally move closer to the United States guarantees to North Korea in denuclearisation at China’s expense. talks, said Hua Po, a Beijing-based independent po- BEIJING: This January 8, 2019 picture released by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) “(China) does not think their interests would be litical commentator. on January 10 shows North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-Un (C) receiving a bouquet of flowers from a Chinese girl threatened by better inter-Korean relations, whereas “If the Korean Peninsula declares itself to be a nu- upon his arrival at the Beijing station. —AFP the possibility of a North Korean alignment with the clear-free zone, China can make a nuclear security US, even potentially, against China, I think it’s Bei- commitment to North Korea,” he said. As Py- adamant on,” said Graham Ong-Webb, a research pectation he does make progress and does not return jing’s nightmare,” Bonnie Glaser, a senior adviser at ongyang’s only major ally, Kim is hoping Xi can push fellow at the S Rajaratnam School of International to belligerence.” the Center for Strategic and International Studies for relief from the multiple sets of sanctions imposed Studies in Singapore. According to the official Xin- Kim’s grandfather Kim Il Sung was also adept at (CSIS), told AFP. “I don’t think they believe it’s im- on it over its weapons programs. The US wants them hua news agency, Xi said he hopes North Korea and playing off Communist rivals Beijing and Moscow possible under President Trump... and this is one of to remain in place until gives up its arms, something the United States will “meet each other halfway”. against each other during the Cold War to extract drivers for Xi Jinping to keep Kim Jong Un close,” Pyongyang has made no public promise to do. China is “much more pragmatic concerning North concessions from both. Yet it appears the overtures Glaser said, noting that Xi reached out “very quickly” “North Korea is looking for something where... Korea’s denuclearisation path providing they do not so far have been one-way: after four visits to China, after Kim started engaging with Moon. they would be rewarded for meeting certain goals, provoke or upturn regional stability,” Beijing-based Xi has yet to visit Pyongyang. North Korean state China has played diplomatic wingman to North rather than sanctions being lifted only after CVID analyst Tom Fowdy told AFP. “If Washington will not media reported Thursday that Xi accepted Kim’s in- Korea, even loaning Kim an Air China jet to travel to (complete, verifiable and irreversible destruction) of give him (Kim) economic concessions, China in a vite to visit, but this was conspicuously absent from his meeting with Trump in Singapore last year. Beijing their nuclear facilities, which is what the US is subtle way almost certainly will... albeit with the ex- Chinese media reports. —AFP formed bodies on a blood-splattered floor in Four civil defense the school compound. “They were shot dead at the scene,” Lieutenant Wicha Nupannoi, for Meng after she was illegally detained of Yarang police station told AFP, adding the China ambassador and deprived of freedom?” Lu wrote in the volunteers gunned killers were suspected insurgents. Ottawa newspaper. “It seems that, to some “The assailants seized their four rifles,” he people, only Canadian citizens shall be down in Thailand said, adding there were no eyewitnesses to accuses Canada of treated in a humanitarian manner and their the attack, which took place before lunch. freedom deemed valuable, while Chinese PATTANI: Four Thai civil defense volunteers Civil defense “volunteers” are poorly paid ‘white supremacy’ people do not deserve that,” he said. “The were gunned down yesterday at a school in local civilians — both Muslim and Buddhist reason why some people are used to arro- the kingdom’s south with students just me- — who are lightly-trained, armed and paid OTTAWA: A Chinese envoy on Wednesday gantly adopting double standards is due to ters away, as bloodshed greets the 15th year by the Thai state to supplement security accused Canada and its allies of “Western Western egotism and white supremacy.” of an insurgency in the Malay-Muslim bor- forces who have blanketed the southernmost egotism and white supremacy” for demand- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau der zone. The culturally distinct region that provinces throughout the rebellion. The 15- ing the immediate release of two Canadians and US President Donald Trump in a tele- borders Malaysia has seen rebels fight year insurgency has seen scores of teachers held for alleged spying. In a letter published phone call on Monday denounced the “ar- against the rule of Buddhist-majority Thai- killed, slain for their perceived collaboration by The Hill Times newspaper, China’s ambas- bitrary” detentions of Kovrig and Spavor. land, which annexed the area over a hundred with the Thai state, and led to the deploy- sador to Canada Lu Shaye also criticized the Australia, Britain, France, Japan, Germany years ago. ment of armed guards at schools. “groundless” detention of a top Chinese tech and the European Union have also made Since 2004, armed insurgents have In a rare public statement dated January executive at the request of the United States. statements in support of Canada. Meng is clashed with Thailand’s powerful military, 4 the main rebel group — the Barisan Revo- China detained former diplomat Michael currently living in a luxury home in Vancou- killing nearly 7,000 people — mostly civil- lusi Nasional (BRN) — which has command Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor ver after being released on bail pending the and control over most of the rebel foot sol- last month, accusing them both of activities ians — both Muslims and Buddhists. The outcome of an extradition hearing. She is re- death toll dropped to a record low last year diers, swore to “keep fighting”. “Siam (Thai- that “endanger China’s security” — a phrase quired to wear an electronic anklet to mon- often used by Beijing when alleging espi- as Thailand’s junta tightened its security web land) can’t hold out,” the BRN wrote, signing itor her movements and has an 11:00 pm to in the south. But recent weeks have seen an off with a warning: “Do not help and support onage. The arrests are thought to be in re- 7:00 am curfew. Meanwhile, a group of uptick in violence, as rebels show they re- Siam.” Prolonged peace talks between the taliation against Canada’s December 1 arrest Canadian parliamentarians visiting China main able to carry out operations after 15 Thai government and an umbrella group of Huawei vice president Meng Wanzhou, this week complained to officials that Kovrig which claims to represent the rebels have who is accused of violating Iran sanctions. and Spavor have been granted few consular years of conflict. failed to yield peace. But Thai authorities as “It’s understandable that these Canadians visits, denied access to lawyers, and remain The men killed yesterday were all Muslim are concerned about their own citizens. But in “completely unacceptable” detention and were guarding a school in Yarang district well as the Malaysian facilitator of the talks have they shown any concern or sympathy conditions. —AFP of Pattani province when the gunmen struck. have recently expressed confidence they will An AFP photographer at the scene saw uni- reach a detente soon. —AFP.