China, Russia urge DPRK to halt missile program, but will it work?

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By CGTN's Dialogue

China and Russia jointly called for the DPRK to halt its missile program during President Xi Jinping’s visit to Moscow this week, but the so-called “double suspension” compromise solution they offered will never work, a Beijing-based Western expert told CGTN’s Dialogue.

The DPRK tested what it claims as "an intercontinental ballistic missile" on Tuesday, prompting a joint statement by Beijing and Moscow calling the test “unacceptable” and urging Pyongyang to halt its nuclear and missile programs in exchange for the US and South Korea ending joint military exercises.

“It’s not going to work because the American government feels that they’re not going to cease cooperating with the South Korean government and also there’s the question of THAAD missiles, whatever happens to them,” Harvey Dzodin, a freelance columnist for China Daily, said however, referring to the anti-ballistic missile defense system the US has installed in South Korea.

“Part of the problem is that as one American diplomat said ‘We’re not going to buy the same horse twice,’ although now this is the third or fourth time. So we’re not going to give North Korea a chance to make an agreement that they’ll subsequently break, as they’ve done in the past,” he added.

During his visit to Moscow, Xi and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin made a joint declaration vowing to work together to push for a settlement of the Korean Peninsular nuclear issue through dialogue and negotiation.

Dialogue with Yang Rui is a 30-minute current affairs talk show on CGTN. It airs daily at 7.30 p.m. BJT (1130GMT), with rebroadcasts at 3.30 a.m. (1930GMT) and 11.30 a.m. (0330GMT).