US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s recent diplomatic venture to Beijing was labeled a ‘desperate plea for peace’ by North Korea, suggesting a lapse in US policy aimed at keeping China in check.
This key engagement between the US and China, one of the most significant since President Joe Biden assumed office, saw Blinken meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday. Both leaders reached a consensus to keep their vigorous rivalry from escalating into outright conflict.
Blinken’s post-meeting remarks hinted at his appeals to China to coax North Korea into halting its missile launches. With Beijing’s unique leverage over Pyongyang, the US Secretary believes it can urge the North to partake in dialogue.
However, North Korea’s KCNA news agency offered a different perspective through a commentary by Jong Yong Hak, an international affairs analyst. According to Hak, the unusual visit by Blinken was nothing more than a plea for tension easing. He cautioned that the attempt to confine China could backfire, delivering a lethal blow to the US economy.
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In Hak’s words, Blinken’s trip is a shameful admission of US policy failure towards China. Furthermore, the commentary accused the US of heightening regional tensions with its “anti-China alliances,” such as the QUAD with Japan, India, and Australia and the AUKUS pact with Britain and Australia.
To underscore the perceived US hypocrisy, the commentary pointed out the audacity of the US in stirring provocation and then discussing ‘responsible control over differences of opinion.’
On Wednesday, US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Daniel Kritenbrink, is set to visit South Korea. His agenda includes briefing Seoul officials on the outcomes of the two-day Beijing talks, as reported by South Korea’s Yonhap news agency.
This news is based on a report by Malay Mail.
