ADRN

China will not pursue world supremacy, the nation's envoy to Korea, Ning Fukui, has assured Koreans. He was speaking at a forum, "China's Foreign Policy in the 21st Century," hosted by the East Asia Institute in Seoul on Monday. Mr. Ning said the rise of China’s economy and military would "never be a threat to others."

Mr. Ning was low key on the subject of Sino-American relations, defining America as "the biggest developed country in the world" and China as "the biggest developing nation." He said, "China's foreign policy is to seek a win-win strategy with the United States through cooperation." Mr. Ning added that the United States and China share a "mutual understanding" on United Nations reform, the North Korea nuclear issue and efforts against terrorism and weapons of mass destruction.

Regarding the stalled six-party talks, Mr. Ning appeared hopeful, saying, "Although the six-party talks are now in trouble, I am confident that the goal of denuclearization of North Korea will be achieved." He added, "China supports everything that is helpful to the peace and safety of the Korean Peninsula."

However, Mr. Ning remained hard-line regarding the sensitive issue of Taiwan. "The issue of Taiwan has the biggest influence on the stable development of bilateral relations between the United States and China," Mr. Ning said. "Regarding the issue, we have no wish to negotiate or compromise." Bilateral relations have been strained over the U.S. export of arms to Taiwan and the argument over the U.S. military's "strategic flexibility" with regard to possible disputes between China and Taiwan.

Mr. Ning, a career diplomat, majored in Korean at Kim Il Sung University in Pyongyang. Asked about Kim Jong-il's keenly watched visit to Beijing, Mr. Ning was elusive, saying, "I'm also curious."

In a related comment, Moon Heung-ho, a Hanyang University professor, said, "China’s fourth-generation leadership under President Hu Jintao views North Korea under Kim Jong-il with skepticism, and Mr. Kim must be aware of this. This is why we need to pay more attention to Mr. Kim's visit to China this time."