Against that backdrop, some of the best news we’ve had lately was reported by my colleague David Ignatius, a sage and deeply wired analyst of foreign policy and national security. He disclosed that America’s sphinx-like Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is hard at work below the radar prodding and encouraging China’s leaders to shoulder the responsibility they claim to seek. Tillerson’s goal is to see China walk Kim to the bargaining table, hold his feet to the fire and then enforce any agreements that are reached.
Apparently, Kim harbors the delusion that his nuclear missiles are going to cow the United States into abandoning its allies in the Pacific and South Asia — a result that would delight the Chinese, although they are rational enough to know it won’t happen. The reality, which China must help Kim see, is that he already has things about as good as they’re going to get. The U.S. role in the region assures a non-nuclear South Korea and a largely demilitarized Japan. Meanwhile, North Korea’s strategic importance to China assures Kim’s future without the need for rattling his nukes. And this status quo can continue indefinitely if Kim abandons his provocations.
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