China’s Foreign Minister spokesman Geng Shuang released a statement this week asserting it is not China that’s the key to resolving N. Korean nuclear aggression. Folks, don’t be fooled.

Don’t be fooled by press releases such as those presented by China’s Foreign Ministry.  When you hear references to N. Korea’s ever-increasing misuse of intercontinental ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons that they now boast can “range-in” the United States, overlay the word: “China.” 

Mr. Shuang attempts to downplay China’s responsibility for N. Korea calling it the misplaced “China responsibility theory” (http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/china-says-china-responsibility-theory-on-north-korea-has-to-stop/ar-BBEdVNS?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartanntp.

China’s confrontational aims are well documented and clear.  China lays claim to the entire South China sea (http://time.com/4412191/nine-dash-line-9-south-china-sea/).  China ignores well established norms of international law adjudicated in the Hague regarding the sovereignty of its neighbors (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/12/philippines-wins-south-china-sea-case-against-china).  China routinely hacks the Pentagon and other U.S. public and private institutions using its People’s Liberation Army Unit 61398 (https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-Pacific/2016/0131/Why-China-hacks-the-world).  And, China continues to build and arm islands that threaten freedom of navigation for one-third of the worlds commerce (http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-usa-southchinasea-exclusive-idUSKBN161029).  China’s goal is to become the regional hegemon in Asia including aspirations to reshape the existing world order of rule of law and established human rights with their vision – a vision that is corrupt and out of sync with Western (American) values and security interests.

C’mon!  Make no mistake regarding who is the obstacle to fixing N. Korea.  If China decided it was in their best interests to defuse the N. Korea problem, all President Xi of China would have to do is quietly summon North Korea’s Leader Kim Jung-un to Beijing.  Xi would explain the world can no longer tolerate a nuclear armed N. Korea and the time for Korean peninsula reintegration has come.  From that point forward, the delicate dance of preserving the North Korean elite’s security, without South Korean opportunism, refereed by the United States and China, to defuse the situation could begin.  The bargain of transitioning N.Korea into a well-behaved mirror vision of South Korea would take generations to smooth out as we saw in the peaceful dismantlement of the Soviet Union and the reintegration of East and West Germany.

But alas, China does not want this.  China does not want a South Korean controlled Korean peninsula on its border especially if it means American forces are still deployed there.  And, S. Korea and the U.S. are not interested in a N. Korean dominated peninsula.  Also, understanding that China gets mileage out of making America bleed its resources maintaining a military footprint in S. Korea is an important variable.  And, of course Russia approvingly smiles in the background - another corrupt regime.  But, it can be argued that even the South Koreans, United Nations, and America does not desire reunification in spite of their rhetoric.  And of course, the N. Korean leadership certainly does not want regime change.  The cost to South Korea would be enormous, the refugee problem and reintegration would be difficult to say the least.  Just look at Germany's east west reintegration.  Decades after reintegration, Germany still struggles with it.  So, essentially, no one wants to upset the status quo on the Korean peninsula. 

Dealing with a long term N. Korean solution requires pre-planning, patience and intelligent policy.   Otherwise, risk of a disastrous war and human tragedy in Korea could ensue.  As we have seen with Libya and Iraq, forced regime change without an intelligent post conflict plan invites disaster.  Nobody wants chaos on the Korean peninsula.  Even our Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, acknowledged as much in April stating "Our goal is not regime change, nor do we desire to threaten the North Korean people or destabilize the Asia Pacific region" (http://thehill.com/policy/international/331055-tillerson-calls-for-new-un-pressure-on-north-korea).  Even if the North Korean Regime were violently decapitated without initially destroying South Korea, the toll would be epic.  Refugees would pour into South Korea and China as law and order collapsed in North Korea.  This human tragedy is, however, avoidable if an intelligent and firm approach is taken to leverage the resolve of all the players to fix the problem - meaning China, North and South Korea, and the United States.  Unless China gets on board with solving N. Korea, the U.S. will be compelled to exert pressure directly on China - who is North Korea's Daddy and the key player in resolving the turmoil on the Korean peninsula.

Bottom line: The solution is simple.  China and the West, together with N. & S. Korea negotiate a peaceful time-constrained transition to eliminating its nuclear program and maintaining the status quo in the short term with an eye on ultimate reunification of the Korean peninsula preceded by a healthy N. Korean economic order that can help facilitate a peaceful Korean peninsula reintegration.  N. Korean regime change / reintegration can be done peacefully and intelligently over time without having to go to war with far less cost than blowing everything up resulting in a complete meltdown or mass exodus of N. Korean refugees into China or South Korea.  Intelligent, firm, and decisive diplomacy with China NOW is the key to ensuring U.S. security interests with regard to the threats posed by North Korea and achieving an optimal outcome in the long term.       

Again, if China were to man-up to its responsibilities under international standards of law, norms, and order, N. Korea could be fixed.  It is China alone that stands in the way of solving the N. Korea problem peacefully.  As N. Korea continues to grow its nuclear arsenal, time is running out to solve the North Korean problem that the people of the United States can no longer live with.  Unfortunately, China is a a corrupt regime that threatens U.S. interests and the established global system of rule of law.  Therefore, the U.S. must be prepared to leverage all its diplomatic tools to compel China into becoming a partner in solving N. Korea and the larger goal of embraching global rule of law and established norms.  A hard job indeed.  But, a necessary job if the U.S. wants to maintain control of leading the global agenda.