Rex Tillerson is on a mission to broker peace between Pyongyang and Seoul with the help of their neighbors in Beijing and Tokyo. He is the US Secretary of State and wants to chalk out a new path because efforts of the past two decades have failed to produce any tangible result. Therefore, he has gone to Tokyo from where he will proceed to hold meetings in Beijing and Seoul to get an inkling of their ideas to reduce tension in the korean peninsula.
Tillerson’s approach to the problem
CNN reports that there was a news conference in Tokyo, with Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, the US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
In the conference, Tillerson said that, in spite of efforts of nearly two decades, it has not been possible to dissuade North Korea from its nuclear weapon plans and, a new policy needs to be drawn up. Both Tillerson and Kishida agreed to stand together against provocations of North Korea.
As far as China is concerned, it has its own plans to defuse tension in the Korean peninsula. It suggests that North Korea suspends its ballistic missile tests and nuclear activities. Simultaneously, the United States and South Korea should suspend their annual joint military exercises that antagonize Pyongyang. Such a proposal was put up by China a week back but, was rejected by the US State Department.
Pyongyang also rejected the Chinese proposal.
It said that the United States can carry on with their annual military drills along with its followers and leave DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) to strengthen its capabilities of defense and preemptive strike.
The future scenario
As per available reports, America has spent nearly $1.35 billion dollars between 1995 and 2008 to help out North Korea.
The money was towards food aid and energy assistance, but Pyongyang diverted the funds to develop nuclear capabilities and launch more missiles. Efforts have been made by the US, South Korea, Japan, China and Russia to arrive at a solution with Pyongyang during Six-Party Talks which began in 2003. However, no solution has emerged as yet.
Sanctions against Pyongyang also appears to have had no result because it continues to go ahead with its nuclear and missile programs.
The Trump administration wants China to take a leading role. It has a major weapon at its command in the form of economic leverage over North Korea and should deploy that to compel the Kim Jong Un regime to put an end to its weapons development program. China argues that it is for the U.S. and the DPRK to have dialogues and evolve a suitable plan of action. With such a scenario, it remains to be seen what Rex Tillerson can achieve and, whether he can find the all-elusive solution in the Korean peninsula.
