Beijing should consider talks with other countries to prepare for possible fallout in the region, analyst says
Beijing needs to come up with backup plans – either on its own or with Washington and Seoul – in case the crisis on the Korean peninsula escalates into conflict, a leading Chinese analyst has warned.
But other observers said it was still too early to discuss a post-war Pyongyang with other countries, insisting there is no sign of the North Korean regime falling.
In an article published in Australia-based online magazine East Asia Forum earlier this month, Peking University international relations professor Jia Qingguo called on China to work with the United States and South Korea on contingency plans.
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Analysts said it was rare for such a subject to be raised so publicly by a Chinese academic.
In his article, Jia said four major areas needed to be addressed: North Korea’s nuclear arsenal, an influx of refugees, restoration of social order, and post-crisis political arrangements on the peninsula.
“So far Beijing has resisted the idea for fear of upsetting and alienating Pyongyang. But, given recent developments, Beijing may have no better choice than to start talking with Washington and Seoul,” Jia wrote. “When war becomes a real possibility, China must be prepared.”
He said that if the regime of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un fell, most likely as a result of a US military strike, either China or the United States should be ready to manage North Korea’s nuclear facilities to prevent the spread of the weapons.
A safety zone should be set up in northeast China to shelter North Korean refugees, and Beijing should talk to Washington about whether to accept a unified Korea.
