A Quiet Agreement Between China and South Korea on Denuclearization

China and South Korea flag
China and South Korea flag

By Ambassador Joseph DeTrani

Ambassador DeTrani served as the U.S. Representative to the Korea Energy Development Organization (KEDO), as well as former CIA director of East Asia Operations. He also served as Associate Director of National Intelligence and Mission Manager for North Korea, was the Special Envoy for the Six-Party Talks with North Korea, and served as the Director of the National Counter Proliferation Center, ODNI.  He currently serves on the Board of Managers at Sandia National Laboratories.

China and South Korea quietly agreed this week to engage in a joint effort to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula.  The announcement came on the sidelines of the Xiangshan Forum, a conference focused on Asia-Pacific security. 

The two countries have resumed bilateral defense talks that were suspended in 2014, signaling a thaw in tensions that arose over Seoul’s decision to deploy a U.S. anti-missile system, according to the Yonhap News Agency.   

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