Even though the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) strongly condemned North Korea’s launch of a nuclear weapon, the frequent visits to China from North Korea’s high-ranking officials reveal the double-sided role of the CCP in the international community.
According to the South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency report, the South Korean diplomat in China witnessed the arrival of the North Korean official at the Beijing International Airport. The South Korean diplomat was at the airport taking care of Prime Minister Han Seung-soo’s return flight. He witnessed the North Korean official’s entry through the VIP room and saw that he was escorted by five CCP vehicles heading toward Beijing.
This North Korean official has been identified as Kim Yong-chun, a confidant of Kim Jong-il and a member of Ko Young-hee’s faction. Ko Young-hee is the mother of Kim Jong-il’s successor, Kim Jong-un.
Kim Yong-chun was the Chief of General Staff of the North Korean People’s Army between 1995 and 2007. He then served as Vice Chairman of the National Defense Commission, a senior rank in the North Korean army. On February 11, 2009, he was appointed Minister of the People’s Armed Forces.
Additionally, Japan’s Asahi Shimbun reported today that Kim Jong-il’s son, Kim Jong-un visited China last week. At that time he met with President Hu Jintao as Special Ambassador on behalf of his father. Kim Jong-un’s assistant reportedly revealed to the CCP that Kim Jong-un is the hand-picked successor of the Kim Dynasty.
Some South Korean analysts believe these frequent visits by North Korean officials to China spell out the importance of the CCP to North Korea and the double-sided role of the CCP in the international community.
According to Japanese media outlet Yomiuri Shimbun, the CCP is currently supplying 80 percent of North Korea’s crude oil and consumer goods, and controlling the lifeline of Kim Jong-il’s regime.
China’s assistance to North Korea has significantly increased in recent years. The CCP provided two billion U.S. dollars to North Korea just in 2005, and promised a total of 7.5 billion U.S. dollars to the regime between 2006 and 2010.
South Korean statistical data reveal that in 2008, China’s overall volume of trade with North Korea reached an historical high of 73 percent of North Korea’s total trade volume.
In addition to the food and materials, North Korea’s nuclear and missile technologies and raw materials are mostly imported from the CCP. Each year, the CCP supplies North Korea 70 percent of the fuel for their missile launches.
According to an insider in the Chinese Nuclear Industry Department, all relevant nuclear techniques and technical trainings of the North Koreans have been provided and conducted by the CCP. In fact, the CCP controls all key raw materials, techniques, and personnel in North Korea’s nuclear development. Some nuclear experiments were completed in the secret nuclear base in China.
