China\'s Quest. The History of the Foreign Relations of the People\'s Republic of China - John Garver

666 { China’s Quest

the matter as an inter-Korean matter that should not be “internationalized.”

China then demanded deferral of consideration of the issue. When Beijing’s

efforts to prevent United Nations action failed and the Security Council

issued a statement on July 9, Beijing watered it down to hold no one responsi-

ble. Throughout, China’s media suggested the JIG report was not credible but

had been cooked up for ulterior purposes by Washington and Seoul. Rather

than looking impartially at the forensic evidence and holding Pyongyang

responsible for a reckless provocation, Beijing protected Pyongyang from

responsibility, criticism, and pressure. Figure 24-1 shows the locations of the

2010 Korea events.

In late July, after the JIG had reached its conclusion, the US and South

Korean navies conducted joint exercises in the Sea of Japan intended to deter

North Korea from further military provocations. These exercises were ini-

tially scheduled for the Yellow Sea on the west side of the Korean peninsula,

but under Chinese pressure, were shifted to the Sea of Japan, to which China

is not littoral.^52 In spite of Washington’s effort to assuage Chinese concerns,

Beijing still strongly condemned the July exercises. Global Times, a nation-

alist newspaper under the auspices of Renmin ribao, said that China had

worked with tolerance and patience to build strategic trust with its neigh-

bors, but that “hard-earned trust is under threat with the US intention

Seoul

Inch’on

YELLOW SEA

PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC

REPUBLIC OF KOREA

REPUBLIC

OF KOREA

Cheonan

sinking

March 2010

Northern Limit Line;

claimed by ROK

since July 1953. Yeartilleronpyeoy shng elliIslandng,

Nov. 2010. Incheon

international

Airport

DMZ

Military Demarcation

Line; claimed by PDRK

since 1999.

FIGURE 24-1 The 2010 Confrontations in Korea