Park Sung-joon

U.S. President Barack Obama, in a joint press conference with his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao in Beijing on Tuesday, said he told Hu "how appreciative I am of China's support for the global nonproliferation regime as well as the verifiable elimination of North Korea's nuclear weapons program." He added North Korea must choose "if it wants to continue down the path of confrontation and provocation that had led to less security, less prosperity, and more isolation from the global community, or it can choose to become a full member of the international community, which will give a better life to its people, by living up to international obligations and foregoing nuclear weapons."

But Chinese newspapers and broadcasters including the official Xinhua news agency merely reported that Obama "appreciated China's positive support for the resolution of the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula." By contrast, they faithfully reported what Hu Jintao said in the press conference.  

Over 2,000 newspapers are published in China, and each province has numerous television and radio channels. Yet for news like the joint press conference, all the media are supposed to copy the Xinhua reports. Obama's message echoed only inside the venue. Does he realize this?

What matters for South Korea is how to live in a new world order dominated by China and the U.S. They claim that the U.S. and Europe is calling it that just to keep it in check. Premier Wen Jiabao also said in May, "The contention that China and the United States constitute a 'G2' is not only groundless but also absurd." 

China has many problems not only in terms of economic might but also in terms of other areas like politics and press. We could suffer if China becomes a superpower merely on the strength of its economy, unaccompanied by improvements in civil rights, political activities and freedom of press. How can we be sure that our voice is heard?

With that in mind, let's take a look at the North Korean issues mentioned in the joint statement. "We agreed on the importance of resuming the six-party talks as soon as possible," it said. "Both of us remain committed to resolving the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and consultation. Such a commitment serves the common interests of China and the United States and all other parties concerned."

While the six-party talks were underway, North Korea carried out two nuclear tests in a bid to be recognized as a nuclear power. Partly thanks to China's persistent mediation, the North is soon to conduct a bilateral meeting with the U.S., a long-cherished ambition since the days of former leader Kim Il-sung.

Is Seoul only parroting the Chinese or American line when it says the six-way talks are the best way forward or that there is no problem with U.S.-North Korea talks? We need to give serious thought to what the statement really means.

By Park Sung-joon from the Chosun Ilbo's News Desk