North Korea’s sixth nuclear test, conducted on September 3 in defiance of the international consensus on non-proliferation, drew unanimous condemnation. Efforts to contain its nuclear ambitions have again yielded no clear result. Equally frustrating, from a Chinese perspective, is that western media have pointed fingers at China.
The international community, China included, certainly has a part to play in upholding non-proliferation. But how the US responds to North Korean provocation matters more than anything else for the regime of Kim Jong Un. Yet the US has shown no willingness to make serious efforts to tackle the real issue (which is to ensure de-nuclearisation by responding to North Korea’s security concerns).
Some historical context is useful here. The “agreed framework” signed by the US and North Korea in 1993 required the North Koreans to replace their graphite-moderated nuclear reactors with “light-water” ones, which are proliferation resistant. However, differences between the parties on the implementation of the agreement later led to North Korea announcing that it would resume its nuclear programme.