North Korea's third nuclear test has not only caused great instability on the Korean Peninsula but also to some extent hurt Sino-North Korean relations. As a responsible power, China supported the UN sanctions against Pyongyang. However, this doesn't mean that China has changed its position of settling the nuclear issue through dialogue. There will be no lasting peace on the peninsula without denuclearization, and that will only be possible with structured dialogue.

For a variety of reasons, Pyongyang and Seoul as well as Pyongyang and Washington are incapable of holding substantive talks at the moment. Rather, dialogue between Beijing and Pyongyang appears to be the most important channel for North Korea to learn about the ideas of the international community and bring Pyongyang back to the six-party talks.

Taking the opportunity of commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice, Vice President Li paid this visit to North Korea. Li met with North Korea's top leader Kim Jong Un. He conveyed a message from Chinese President Xi Jinping to Kim and reiterated China's position on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the maintenance of its peace and stability and solving problems through dialogue and negotiations. Li said China would like to push the resumption of the six-party talks and contribute to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula together with all related parties, in a bid to achieve peace in the region.

In the meantime, Li noted that the China-North Korea relationship is entering a new period that serves as a link between past and future, which means cherishing hard-won peace in the past and creates lasting stability in the future. Therefore, a joint commitment to peace and stability on the peninsula is the basis for the development of China-North Korea relations in the future. Strengthening dialogue between the two countries will create favorable conditions for fostering lasting peace on the peninsula.

Outmoded ideas

The stagnation of the denuclearization process rests with several obstacles. The first is historical enmity between North Korea and South Korea. The Pyongyang-Seoul relationship is marked by rivalry. Both sides seek the unification of the peninsula and regard itself as superior to the other. Also, legal and military confrontation between the two has exacerbated mutual suspicion and hostility. Another is the ideological obstacle. As a huge economic gap exists between the two countries, there is little space for the mutual inclusiveness of the two systems, which adds to difficulties in establishing mutual trust. Moreover, as South Korea is an important part of the U.S. Asia-Pacific strategy, the Pyongyang-Seoul relationship is easily affected by U.S. geopolitical strategy. The nuclear issue is a product of these complicated problems.

At present, the question comes down to whether a peace agreement should be signed or a peace mechanism should be established in return for the denuclearization of Pyongyang. Though the Joint Statement of the fourth round of the six-party talks in 2005 has mentioned negotiating for a permanent peace mechanism on the peninsula, it is a non-binding clause that is not contingent upon the denuclearization of Pyongyang. It should be admitted that Pyongyang's nuclear development owes to the confrontation on the peninsula. Therefore, denuclearization should be connected with the removal of the confrontation. However, due to ideological differences, it is difficult for the United States to normalize its relationship with North Korea.

For its part, China is committed to helping resolve the issue through dialogue. While strengthening cooperation with the United States and South Korea and enhancing communication with North Korea, it tries to build mutual trust among parties concerned in hopes that the peninsula could establish lasting peace through reconciliation. But to create a new era on the peninsula, it is imperative that all parties abandon outmoded ideas.

The author is an associate research fellow with the China Institute of International Studies

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