The United States is trying to get China on side in enforcing sanctions under the latest UN Security Council resolution against North Korea. Washington is contemplating sending former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who has close ties to China, or someone of similar caliber. It feels Beijing is the key to ensuring the sanctions are effective since China accounts for 70 percent of North Korea's trade.

"The U.S. wants to show that international cooperation can enforce strong sanctions against North Korea even for the purpose of bringing the North back to the negotiation table later," a U.S. official said Sunday. Washington is convinced that persuasion of China is a top priority if Resolution 1874 is not to go the way of the previous resolution, which petered out in subsequent nuclear negotiations with the North.

Henry Kissinger (file photo)

¡ß Heavyweight Envoy

In a number of South Korean-U.S. meetings during the Seoul-Washington summit last week, the U.S. explained it wants to send a heavyweight like Kissinger, who is regarded as the best possible envoy to Beijing. In addition to playing midwife in normalizing diplomatic relations between the U.S. and China in the 1970s, Kissinger was in the Chinese capital early this year along with former president Jimmy Carter to convey a message from then president-elect Barack Obama.

Meanwhile, a delegation led by Under Secretary of Defense Michele Flournoy is touring South Korea, China and Japan this week to discuss enforcement of the Security Council resolution. The mission is focused on persuading Beijing.

¡ß China's Attitude

China agreed to Resolution 1874, which bans weapons exports, encourages the inspection of suspect cargo and sanctions financial activities. But it remains to be seen, how energetically it will take part in enforcing it. Beijing also agreed to the Resolution 1718 after the North's first nuclear test in 2006 but it did not enforce provisions banning luxury exports to the North. And China has traditionally refrained from strong pressure against the North because it values the stability of the North Korean regime.

But Seoul and Washington say they are seeing a subtle shift in China¡¯s attitude. "Despite being a close ally, China finds it hard to sit idle while a neighbor goes nuclear," said a government official. "The U.S. is focusing on multilateral sanctions rather than on unilateral ones because it feels China could be talked into participating." Another official speculated, "It's possible that China will take part in sanctions against the North above a certain level to achieve resumption of the six-party talks it chairs." China has reportedly cut the quantities of oil sent to the North and reinforced inspections of exports to the North.

The June 13 Beijing visit by the North Korean defense minister, Kim Yong-chun, probably came to counter such perceptions. The official Rodong Shinmun daily on Saturday said stronger sanctions would lead to a tougher military response. This could have been a signal to Beijing not to take part in sanctions against the North, an official here speculated.