U.S., China Diverge on North Korea

Not many people get a bear-hug from Kim Jong-il, the North Korean leader, but Wen Jiabao, the Chinese premier, joined that club in October. This symbolic embrace signals a culmination of Chinese efforts to restore its relationship with North Korea following what Pyongyang calls “China’s betrayal” in 1992 when Beijing established diplomatic relations with Seoul. Mr Wen’s visit to Pyongyang to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Sino-North Korean relations underscores the importance, as well as the complexity of this strategic “friendship”. In contrast to the flurry of Chinese diplomatic activity, US ambassador Stephen Bosworth’s visit on Tuesday to Pyongyang marks the first official contact between Barack Obama’s administration and the North Korean regime.