China’s dilemma from the troop dispatch

China must act, not talk, if it really wants to be called a superpower.

YOU SANG-CHULThe author is the head of the China Institute of the JoongAng Ilbo and CEO of China Lab. What are China’s inner thoughts about North Korea’s dispatch of troops to Russia? It is hard to guess whether China is welcoming it or worrying about it. There are two interpretations. First, some say it helps China, as it lessens the pressure on Beijing to provide direct military aid to Moscow. It also has the effect of putting certain pressure on the United States. But there are more analyses that the troop dispatch does more harm than good to China. As North-Russia relations become closer, China’s unmatched influence on the North could be hurt.

In the event of an emergency on the Korean Peninsula in the future, China must consider Russia’s automatic intervention. The North’s participation in the war will also promote security cooperation among South Korea, the United States and Japan. China may have to worry about the creation of an Asian version of NATO. Moreover, China’s image of pursuing peace — as it has so far posed as the mediator of the Ukraine War — could disappear. Prof. Shi Yinhong at the Renmin University of China said that China must have been quite anxious and angry.

China’s internal thoughts on North Korea sending troops for Russia can be presumed from two official comments. The foreign ministry spokesman said that each involved party should work hard to ease tension and resolve political issues. He added, “The development of relations between North Korea and Russia is their own business.” Though China urged resolution through talks, the professor’s comment reflects China’s helplessness. What we need to pay more attention to is the remark by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the BRICS summit on Oct. 23.

Xi presented three principles to help ease the situation: not allowing the battlefield from spreading outside, preventing the war from intensifying and letting stakeholders stop adding fuel to the fire. Xi’s comment was short yet meaningful. He demanded the battlefield not to spread outside. He may have the Korean Peninsula in mind. The North’s troop dispatch made South Korea a step closer to the war in Ukraine.

This seems to be a warning that the war should not give off sparks to the Korean Peninsula. His opposition to the exacerbation of the Ukraine war suggests his clear opposition to the North’s troop dispatch. Last, he warned all involved parties not to add fuel to the fire, a sign that the West, including Korea, must not take stronger actions or escalate the tension. This is typical of China. It only talks to prevent the situation from worsening, but it doesn’t engage in acts of retribution for wrongdoings like the North’s troop dispatch.

This is what happened at the times of the Cheonan sinking and the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island. That's why China is ridiculed as being trapped between paralysis and incompetence. China must act, not talk, if it really wants to be called a superpower.