Talks point to support for North Korean reform, as China’s dependency

Jang Song Thaek and Wen Jiabao

Reuters and SCMP hold in their reports that Hu Jintao’s and Wen Jiabao‘s meetings, with Kim Jong Un’s uncle Jang Song Thaek, underscores Beijing’s backing for Pyongyang’s plans to rebuild its economy. Indeed, Kim’s takeover of power, and his recent success in the power struggle to remove top conservatives from the North Korean army, have all been achieved with the indispensable support of Chinese leaders.

When North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) asked various Party organisations to resolve food problems, toprove their loyalty on New Year’s Day, it obviously revealed the lack of loyalty among Party organisations. (See my post “A Dynasty on the Verge of Collapse” dated January 29)

The New Year editorial, carried by three North Korean newspapers, went further in reflecting the dire lack of loyalty by urging the whole party, the entire army and all the people to possess a firm conviction that they will become human bulwarks and human shields in defending Kim Jong-un.

Certainly the starving party, army and people lack such conviction. Those were clear signs that the ruling family of the Kim Dynasty was well aware of the peril of the collapse of its dynasty. We could foresee that Kim Dynasty would carry out reform and opening up to prevent collapse.

However, those who have not experienced Mao Dynasty similar to Kim Dynasty still thought the Dynasty enjoyed popular support; therefore they believed that “Mourning by North Koreans in the better-fed capital may largely have been genuine” (p 14, Newsweek 9-14 Jan. 2012).

Reuters and SCMP certainly have better understanding than some American media. They have reported on the establishment of the two economic zones to open up North Korea, mainly to China.

By supporting North Korean reform, China will be benefited in exploiting North Korea’s cheap labour and natural resources, and turn North Korea into China’s dependency. China shows its opposition to North Korean development of nuclear weapons, but it knows that North Korea lacks the resources and technology to become a nuclear power.

The fear of a North Korean nuclear program will keep Western countries away from exploiting North Korean reform and opening up. That is precisely what China wants.

In this sense, China will benefit if North Korea keeps on its nuclear rhetoric.

Related Articles

• Tremendous changes in North Korea in response to China’s success (chinadailymail.com)
• Influential North Korean Meets With Chinese Leaders (nytimes.com)
• Senior North Korean leader meets Chinese President (nzherald.co.nz)