Western powers can't blame China for North Korea's wayward deeds
- Source: Global Times
- [21:44 June 16 2010]
- Comments
The Obama administration may have changed the policy of the Bush administration, which refused to continue bilateral contacts with North Korea, but does not change its hostile policy toward North Korea.
The US often uses both carrot and stick in international affairs, but for North Korean issue, it seems the US has only a high-held big stick, but no hope of giving a sweet carrot. After all, the US treats North Korea as an axis of evil rather than a normal country, whose reasonable security concerns need to be taken care of.
On Tuesday, a study report released by the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations called the Obama administration's policy toward North Korea vague and "half-hearted." The report recommended a denuclearization strategy that includes elements of both coercion and diplomacy, which means taking the necessary tough measures to reach clearer goals while strengthening engagement with the people of North Korea.
However, the 23 experts who formed a task force to write the report differ on detailed tactics. Some argue that this report is not creative or meaningful in addressing North Korea.
The US itself has to play it by ear. Why does it require China to have a silver bullet?
The author is a Washington DC-based Chinese journalist. forum@ globaltimes.com.cn
