There’s a slight change in plans at the barbeque. Chinese President Jiang Zemin and President Bush are set for lunch at the ranch tomorrow – a summit organized long ago, meant to focus on the usual topics: Taiwan, trade, terrorism, and as of late, Iraq.
But the agenda changed radically when China’s neighbor and ally North Korea startlingly confessed it is maintaining a nuclear weapons program – despite signing treaties meant to halt it. North Korea – isolated, impoverished, run by an unpredictable leader – isn’t the place most global leaders want to hear the chatter of a Geiger counter.
As of now, the United States is exploring diplomacy – as a first response. But will that last? More importantly – will it work? U.S.-Sino talks and the Pyongyang Problem
Guests:
Ashton Carter, former Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Policy, 1993-1996
Senior Adviser to the North Korea Policy Review from 1998-2000, currrently Professor of Science and Internationl Affairs at Harvard University’s JFK School of Government
Ambassador James Lilley – former U.S. ambassador to both the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Korea, former Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Affairs, 1991-1993
currently Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.