‘China keen on economic stability with N. Korea than condemning its nuke program’

BEIJING - America’s hope that China would condemn North Korea over its nuclear enrichment seems to be a ‘distant dream,’ as Beijing is more interested in developing Pyongyang’s economic stability than its nuclear program, according to Chinese and foreign observers.

“China is acting in its own interests, and its interests and US interests are not necessarily the same,” the Christian Science Monitor quoted Daniel Sneider, an expert on Korea at Stanford University’s Shorenstein Center, said.

John Park, an analyst at the US Institute of Peace, said that although China has been leading international efforts to stop North Korea from going nuclear, “its top priority right now is stabilizing” the economically fragile country, whose leader Kim Jong-il recently launched a process to hand over power to his third son, Kim Jong-un.

“Denuclearization is the number two priority,” Dr. Park added.

According to Mel Gurtov, the editor of the quarterly Asian Perspective, China does not want to give the impression of being a big power that bullies its allies, and therefore, “the chances are close to zero” that it would listen to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s call to send “send a clear, an unmistakable message to North Korea” to end its “provocative actions.” (ANI)