by Xinhua writer Tian Dongdong
BEIJING, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- The ice-breaking dialogue between the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in Singapore Sunday offers some ray of hope for the settlement of the decades-long predicament, but turning the positive momentum into milestone requires both courage and wisdom to compromise from the two sides.
Particularly, the United States, holding a stake in Korean Peninsula's peace and stability, needs to at least listen to the DPRK's voice and join hands with other pertinent parties to defuse the prolonged crisis on the peninsula.
Believe it or not, a cornered and reckless DPRK is not a blessing to the region nor to the world at large. Blind arrogance and constant neglect to the olive branches the country has offered might be the last straw for the isolated nation.
Washington's flat refusal last week to Pyongyang's proposal of temporarily suspending nuclear tests in exchange for a halt to joint military exercises by the U.S. and South Korea does no good to trust-building and realization of peace on the divided peninsula.
In fact, the offer, which the United States deemed as an "implicit threat", could be sort of goodwill released by the DPRK for a peaceful solution to the decade-long crisis.
The proposal is the latest tension-easing effort made in recent months by the Kim Jong Un administration toward trust-based dialogue or detente with the United States and South Korea.
Unfortunately, it was not met with proportionate sincerity from the United States.
U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki outright slammed that it "inappropriately links routine" U.S.-South Korea exercises to the possibility of a nuclear test by the DPRK and is "an implicit threat."
The U.S. failed to notice, or chose to ignore, the potentially positive change to the intense atmosphere surrounding the Korean Peninsula that could come if the proposal was implemented.
Just like what China has repeatedly urged, trust-based dialogue is the only way out of the decades-long stalemate and to the resumption of the six-party talks on the denuclearization on the peninsula.
It is highly hoped that the United States catch the opportunity and show due respects to DPRK's olive branches in Singapore. Now the ball is in Washington's court.
Related:
UN assures DPRK of help to facilitate dialogue with Republic of Korea
UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations has assured the Democratic Republic of Korea (DPRK) it would be doing all within its power to foster dialogue to reduce tension on the Korean Peninsula, a UN spokesman said Wednesday.
UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson made the remarks while meeting with Ambassador Ja Song Nam, the permanent representative of the DPRK to the United Nations, Tuesday, said Farhan Haq, the deputy UN spokesman, at a daily news briefing here in response to a press question about the meeting. Full story
S.Korea urges DPRK again to respond to dialogue offer
SEOUL, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- South Korea on Wednesday urged the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) once again to respond to its dialogue offer, saying the government will deliver voices of concern to civic groups about their plans to scatter anti-DPRK leaflets.
The South Korean military said it will sternly retaliate against any DPRK provocations though the provocations are caused by the leaflet dispersion. Full story
