Comments of General Liang Guanglie, Minister of National Defense, China

The 10th IISS Asia Security Summit

The Shangri-La Dialogue

Singapore 

Sunday 05 June 2011

Fourth Plenary Session 

China’s International Security Cooperation

Q&A

General Liang Guanglie  

Minister of National Defense, China

Dr Dana Allin, Senior Fellow for US Foreign Policy and Transatlantic Affairs; Editor of Survival, IISS

General, thank you for your remarks.  You spoke eloquently about some general principles, among them inclusive security, and that no alliances should be directed against [a] third country.  However, like some others in this hall, I would like to ask you about a more specific problem.  As the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) continues to develop nuclear weapons and long-range missiles, is it not understandable and indeed inevitable that threatened countries such as Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) are going to seek an ever-closer military alliance with the United States?

General Liang Guanglie [As translated from Chinese: Since North Korea performed nuclear tests several years ago, the situation on the Korean Peninsula has become the concern of all parties, especially the international society, in recent years. It is sometimes under tension, and the tension is alleviated at other times. From the end of last year to the start of this year, especially, it was almost on the verge of breaking out in a war. 

As a neighbour to the Korean Peninsula, we surely attach great importance to this problem. The Chinese side, or the government of China, is making joint efforts with the international society, including Russia, America, Japan, South Korea, and others. For this purpose, the mechanism of the Six-Party Talks was established, and the United Nations has also created related resolutions, which I will not further discuss here. China has signed the resolution documents of the UN, and it is quite clear that we oppose the tension on the Korean Peninsula as well as the development of nuclear weapons by North Korea. With the joint efforts of all parties involved, the tension on the Korean Peninsula is somewhat alleviated now, but relations are still quite weak.

Yesterday, I discussed this problem with Mr Toshima Kitazawa, the Defence Minister of Japan, and Mr Kim Kwan Jin, the Defence Minister of South Korea. All of us are highly concerned about the military developments in this region, and we hope the weak situation will not last much longer. All parties involved should properly solve the problem through active efforts and negotiations, avoiding producing man-made tension.

We will try our best to communicate with South Korea and Japan, as well as North Korea. I can be very frank with you that what we have done in communications with North Korea is much more than you imagine, including the work of our representatives to the Six-Party Talks, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the leaders of our country. We have been advising North Korea, via different channels, not to take the risk.

Of course, South Korea and Japan are also actively negotiating with us and communication with each is ongoing. It is the joint effort of all parties that helps to alleviate the tension in this region. Therefore, I hope all parties involved can keep calm and exercise restraint, doing more work that is beneficial for the stability on the peninsula and not going to arms. What we do should not lead to the increase of tension in this region, but help to alleviate the tension and promote stability on the peninsula. Thank you.]