Chinese President Hu Jintao (
First, North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il went to Pyongyang's airport to welcome Hu on his arrival, and to see him off at his departure. Upon his arrival, in particular, Hu was gratified by the thousands of North Koreans who staged a carefully choreographed welcome as his motorcade headed into the capital, even stepping out of his vehicle on four occasions to express his thanks.
In China, Hu has never had such an elaborate welcome, and in his recent visits to the US and Canada, he did not dare to get out of his car, for fear of protesters.
Second, at a closed-door family party, Kim arranged for Hu to meet his second son and heir apparent Kim Jong-chol. Some people regarded Kim Jong-il's move as carrying the implication of entrusting his child to a friend before his death. He must regard Hu as a friend, for he would not act in this way otherwise.
Third, on the first day of Hu's visit, he won a pledge from Kim Jong-il that North Korea would take part in the next round of six-nation talks on its nuclear program, due to take place this month. Kim's cooperation allows Hu to claim credit for pushing forward the six-party talks and convince the US that China is not shielding North Korea over its nuclear program.
Of course, the goodwill that Hu received in North Korea was not free. According to Japanese news reports, the price was US$2 billion. When Hu visited the UN in September, he promised US$10 billion to relieve poverty around the world. The US$2 billion is probably in addition to the sum promised the UN, and comes under the heading of expenses for the international communist movement.
Over the past half century, China has given North Korea tens of billions of dollars in aid, so what is another US$2 billion? That China is using the hard-earned money of its people to support a foreign dictator can at best be called "a policy of creating prosperity in neighboring nations."
But at a time when China has countless millions living in poverty, this aid to its neighbors goes under the heading of the "international spirit of the proletariat." During the Qing Dynasty, a similar policy was called "giving to foreign friends rather than domestic slaves."
From an international perspective, the relationship between China and North Korea, if not like that between a father and son, is at least that of a superior and a junior. In other words, China is able to direct North Korea.
So if North Korea makes a nuisance of itself, the US can look to China for redress. If China is unable to solve the problem, then it will clearly indicate the relationship between the two countries has gone sour.
The problem is that after Hu and Kim met on Oct. 28, North Korea's official news agency, KCNA, immediately issued an editorial stating that the US had violated the spirit of the six-party talks. The editorial accused the US of fabricating human rights violations to put pressure on North Korea, and said that such actions voided past agreements.
This suggests that Hu and Kim are collaborating to create difficulties for the next round of six-party talks. The US should be prepared for this.
Paul Lin is a commentator based in New York.
TRANSLATED BY LIN YA-TI and Ian Bartholomew
I came to Taiwan to pursue my degree thinking that Taiwanese are “friendly,” but I was welcomed by Taiwanese classmates laughing at my friend’s name, Maria (瑪莉亞). At the time, I could not understand why they were mocking the name of Jesus’ mother. Later, I learned that “Maria” had become a stereotype — a shorthand for Filipino migrant workers. That was because many Filipino women in Taiwan, especially those who became house helpers, happen to have that name. With the rapidly increasing number of foreigners coming to Taiwan to work or study, more Taiwanese are interacting, socializing and forming relationships with
Chinese social media influencer “Yaya in Taiwan” (亞亞在台灣), whose real name is Liu Zhenya (劉振亞), made statements advocating for “reunifying Taiwan [with China] through military force.” After verifying that Liu did indeed make such statements, the National Immigration Agency revoked her dependency-based residency permit. She must now either leave the country voluntarily or be deported. Operating your own page and becoming an influencer require a certain amount of support and user traffic. You must successfully gain approval for your views and attract an audience. Although Liu must leave the country, I cannot help but wonder how many more “Yayas” are still
Earlier signs suggest that US President Donald Trump’s policy on Taiwan is set to move in a more resolute direction, as his administration begins to take a tougher approach toward America’s main challenger at the global level, China. Despite its deepening economic woes, China continues to flex its muscles, including conducting provocative military drills off Taiwan, Australia and Vietnam recently. A recent Trump-signed memorandum on America’s investment policy was more about the China threat than about anything else. Singling out the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as a foreign adversary directing investments in American companies to obtain cutting-edge technologies, it said
The recent termination of Tibetan-language broadcasts by Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA) is a significant setback for Tibetans both in Tibet and across the global diaspora. The broadcasts have long served as a vital lifeline, providing uncensored news, cultural preservation and a sense of connection for a community often isolated by geopolitical realities. For Tibetans living under Chinese rule, access to independent information is severely restricted. The Chinese government tightly controls media and censors content that challenges its narrative. VOA and RFA broadcasts have been among the few sources of uncensored news available to Tibetans, offering insights
RSS