China’s official media outlet Global Times has praised India’s growing closeness with North Korea, despite United States’ apparent displeasure. According to Global Times, Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh’s recent visit to Pyongyang has left international observers surprised.
“The 2015 interaction made Indian scholars excited. They proposed that India should take this opportunity to intensify diplomatic efforts to engage North Korea and expand its Act East policy. However, ties soured after India, under US pressure, imposed restrictions on trade with North Korea. Yet New Delhi hasn’t completely succumbed to US pressure. It rejected Washington’s request to close its embassy in Pyongyang,” writes Liu Zongyi.
It is a fact that India’s ties with North Korea has improved in a big way since North Korean foreign minister Ri Su-yong visited New Delhi in 2015. Following that Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju visited North Korean embassy in New Delhi to take part in its National Day.
Commenting on India’s independent diplomacy, Zongyi said, “The independence and flexibility of Indian diplomacy paved the way for Singh’s Pyongyang visit, which in turn, highlights the sagacity of New Delhi’s diplomatic efforts – seizing the opportunity to address India’s core concerns and meanwhile laying the basis to deepen ties with Pyongyang.”
According to Global Times, Singh’s visit has two purposes: “India wants to get assurance from North Korea ahead of the Kim-Trump summit that the latter will not cooperate with Pakistan in nuclear and missile development. This is India’s core concern. Since 1999, India believes that North Korea provided ballistic missile technology and components to Pakistan, which India thinks jeopardizes its security and regional stability….Apparently, India doesn’t want to see North Korea assist its enemy, Pakistan, in nuclear and missile development, but New Delhi is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty or Missile Technology Control Regime, and thus has no right to criticize North Korea. Now, Pyongyang has announced its pursuit of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and will negotiate with Washington on the issue. This is a good chance for India to address its core concern, as North Korea, to ensure the success of talks with the US, will surely make some pledges on denuclearization.”
The Indian side is happy with the progress of negotiations. North Korea has reportedly assured India that it “will never allow any action that would create concerns for India’s security.”
“Another purpose of Singh’s visit is to ensure his country’s entry into the North Korean market. During the third plenary meeting of the Seventh Central Committee of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea last month, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un announced that the country would “concentrate all efforts on socialist economic construction.” …India is the third largest trading partner of North Korea. However, following UN sanctions, New Delhi had to impose restrictions on trade with Pyongyang. At the time of North Korea’s reforms, India is more than willing to enter the country’s market and expand its trade exchange. North Korea has abundant rare earth resources, which has attracted the attention of many countries including India, especially after China intensified regulations on the export of rare earths. Singh’s visit has won India some advantage in future economic cooperation with North Korea.”
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