Stuck in the Past.docVIP

Stuck in the Past 　　In the past couple of years， the issue of North Koreas nuclear ambitions has been one of a few issues that the US and China have sought common ground on， despite differing opinions on how the phenomenon should be addressed. At various summits， Presidents Xi Jinping and Barack Obama have emphasized that a further North Korean nuclear test would be unacceptable. 　　However， in the wake of the detonation of a nuclear device close to the Chinese border， which Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea （DPRK） state media claimed was a hydrogen bomb， the fragile common ground between the US and China on the North Korean nuclear issue has apparently given way to fresh disputes. 　　 Pressure 　　Since successfully detonating its first atomic bomb in 2006， Pyongyang has carried out four nuclear tests in 10 years. In a conversation between Chinas foreign minister Wang Yi and US Secretary of State John Kerry on January 7， Kerry stated that previous approaches to the North Korean problem have not worked. “We cannot continue business as usual，” Kerry was quoted as saying. 　　As North Korea is almost completely reliant on China for its fuel and food supply， Western analysts tend to see Beijing as Pyongyangs only lifeline. Kerry’s comments were widely interpreted as both a criticism of China’s failure to bring Pyongyang under control， and a demand for a tougher stance from its leadership. 　　While Wang Yi didnt directly respond to Kerry’s remarks， China Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying stressed in a press conference held on January 8， without directly naming specific countries， that China is not “the cause” of the peninsulas nuclear crisis， adding that the key to resolving the North Korean nuclear issue was not China. 　　Earlier in January， Hua reiterated that China is “firmly opposed” to North Koreas nuclear experiments， and that China had summoned the North Korean ambassador to make “solemn representations.” 　　Hua went on to say that it is not only China