Korean tensions won’t take China hostage

The Korean Peninsula has just experienced a weekend which appeared to be a cliffhanger. On the one hand, talks at the Panmunjom truce village among senior officials from both North and South Korea resumed. On the other, however, the military standoff was not eased.



Pyongyang did not launch military strikes against Seoul after the former's deadline for the latter to stop propaganda broadcasts over the border passed. But it has been detected that 70 percent of North Korea's submarines have left their bases, which has made South Korea nervous.



In addition, Pyongyang has rejected the idea of restraint without mentioning names. But some have noticed that as China's foreign ministry spokesperson had called on restraint from both sides before that, the South Korean media then analyzed that Pyongyang's statement was an "apparent rebuff" against China.



Many analysts believe the current tension on the Peninsula must have something to do with China's military parade on September 3.



Among all the driving forces which are making the situation worse, preventing South Korea's President Park Geun-hye from attending Beijing's parade is believed to be one of them, and probably a main factor.



Is it only sensitivity from the Chinese side, or do certain forces in Pyongyang, Seoul, or outside the Peninsula indeed exist, and they are gambling on this? If so, China will definitely feel displeased.



But if Beijing's parade is to be actually interrupted by any malicious interference, China will not sit on its hands and do nothing.



Of course, given that it is hard to tell truth from falsehoods regarding the Peninsula, which has a variety of intricate issues, such analysis does not necessarily make sense. Yet Beijing will not be led by the nose, and there is no force on the Peninsula that could easily maneuver China.



More importantly, it is impossible to strip China of its strength and geopolitical advantages. Those who want to take advantage of China will be under pressure, and this will incur risks.



Obviously, China does not wish for any disturbance of the military parade, but if there is one, it's not a big deal. Besides, if there were such a disturbance, it would mean much bigger danger for the Peninsula.



As a friend of both Pyongyang and Seoul, maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula serves Beijing's interests.



China is opposed to any activities from any single side that could lead to an escalation of tensions, and China has adequate measures to demonstrate its opposition if the situation spirals out of control.



Tension on the Korean Peninsula is not an easy issue for anyone, including China. But China is not the one with the most thorny problems. China is promoting peace on the Peninsula out of shared concern, and what China is doing is to protect the common interests of all the nations within the region, including North and South Korea.

