On a two-day visit to China that began on Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is expected to discuss with Beijing regional peace and stability, which will likely include the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
But before pressing China - as he hinted he would - to take a tougher stance on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s nuclear program following its recent bomb test, the top U.S. diplomat should first review his country's dogged policy on this issue.
The exacerbating situation on the peninsula in recent years has been deplorable. But it boils down to Uncle Sam's uncompromising hostility, manifested in its unceasing defaming, sanctions, isolation and provocation of the DPRK, flaring up the country's sense of insecurity and thus pushing it towards reckless nuclear brinkmanship.
Instead of reviewing the repercussions of its dead-end policy exemplified by Pyongyang's latest temerarious test of a hydrogen bomb, it's harrowing to see that Washington has once again brandished a big stick by dispatching a B-52 bomber to fly into the airspace of an already simmering peninsula.
Despite this dangerous toe-to-toe rivalry, China has urged restraint from all parties concerned as well as perseverance in upholding the resolutions of the UN Security Council, all in a bid to prevent the situation from spiraling out of control.
Sharing a border with the DPRK, China has proposed the six-party talks and spared no effort to maintain and resume them. It's China's unshakable stance that denuclearization and non-proliferation on the Korean Peninsula through the political means is necessary to secure stability in the region and serves the interests of all parties concerned.
China's sincerity and devotion to this process are unquestionable. Anyone who doubts the country's resolve to honor its commitment or even challenge the feasibility of its policies on the issue should be reminded that China, although not a major crux in the conflict, has spared no effort to secure a peaceful and lasting settlement of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue.
But it is unrealistic to rely merely on China to press the DPRK to abandon its nuclear program, as long as the U.S. continues an antagonistic approach wrought from a Cold War mentality while refusing some of the DPRK's rare goodwill gestures. Bear in mind that China-DPRK ties should not be understood as a top-down relationship where the latter follows every bit of advice offered by the former.
As for those arguing for the exclusion of DPRK from the six-party talks, their dismay is understandable concerning the current stalemate. However, these people should be reminded that isolation has proved ill-advised and counterproductive in dealing with an already insular nation as the DPRK. The inclusive negotiating table of the six-party talks, still the most widely recognized option for all sides, should hence be safeguarded.
The fundamental solution to the current standoff is dependent on the West tossing aside its animosity toward the isolated nation. We should remain optimistic about a possible peaceful settlement to the peninsula's nuclear issue. As a Chinese saying goes, a good gain takes long pain. The recent political settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue may indicate that there is good reason to expect a gratifying way out of the Korean predicament - that is, if all sides are sincere.
To make that happen, the U.S. should exhibit good faith with concrete actions such as the reduction of military drills and political propaganda.
The time is ripe for Secretary Kerry to extend his statesmanship by reviewing his country's policy on the DPRK nuclear issue. The longer the U.S. persists in its habitual enmity towards the Northeast Asian country, the more it will pay for its headstrong hubris.
