A Bitter Friendship.(Chinese-North Korean relations)(Column)

In July, Chinese tour groups of Korean War veterans returned to North Korea to commemorate their sacrifices on the battlefield. The conflict that bound the two socialist allies "as close as lips and teeth" left 360,000 Chinese dead when it ended in a stalemate 50 years ago. Yet when four Chinese vets visited their old headquarters in the North, they were shocked by what they saw: a massive painting of Pyongyang's late "Great Leader" Kim Il Sung grandly instructing Korean officers into battle--with just one Chinese officer on the sidelines. "This isn't true!" fumed one Chinese veteran. "Kim came here only four times. Where are all the Chinese?"

North Korea has been thumbing its nose at China for years, but what was once an irritation for Beijing is becoming a matter of serious concern. Since last October, Pyongyang has gone from restarting its mothballed nuclear facilities to bragging about reprocessing 8,000 spent nuclear- fuel rods into weapons-grade plutonium--enough to build at least half a dozen bombs. As North Korea has turned up the heat, the United States and other regional powers have implored Chinese leaders to talk some sense into Pyongyang. And for good reason. Besides its historical ties to the Hermit Kingdom, China has powerful leverage: it supplies more than three quarters of North Korea's energy needs and more than one third of its imports. Beijing is weighing all options to influence its wayward ally. "But North Korea's a real headache for us," admits one Chinese official. "It keeps demanding more and more fuel and food. We've sacrificed billions of dollars in the past 50 years."

That helps explain why three weeks ago Beijing arm-wrestled Pyongyang back to the negotiating table. After heavy lobbying, North Korean officials agreed to six-way talks--hosted by the Chinese--that would include representatives from the two Koreas, the United States, China, Japan and Russia. Beijing, in fact, is expending more energy than ever on resolving the crisis. Hu Jintao, who became president of China last March, dispatched envoys across the region to arrange for the talks slated for Aug. 27 to 29. After meeting South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun last month, Hu underscored that a nuclear North Korea would be unacceptable--the closest China has come to drawing a "red line" with Pyongyang. If the North tests a bomb--which Western experts warn could happen this year--Chinese officials may give up on their northern neighbor.

Unfortunately for Beijing, North Korea often bites the hand that feeds it. Dozens of ...