“Listen, whoever comes to you with this Barzini meeting, he’s the traitor. Don’t forget that.” No matter how it’s translated, the PRC’s prime minister still sounds like the threat the Godfather warns Michael to expect.

It already seems Beijing has done well for itself from the Cheonan incident.

A diplomatic source who requested anonymity said Friday that China had proposed to the U.S. to conduct a joint investigation with the participation of the UN Command, China and North Korea. The source said China made the offer last week through its UN delegation in New York, and that the offer called for convening the UN Command’s Military Armistice Commission, which has lost its function over time.

The U.S. and China reportedly informed the South Korean government of the offer through the UN Command’s special investigation team for the Cheonan sinking following some final adjustments during China-U.S. strategic and economic talks in Beijing on May 24 to 25.

In response, the UN Command special investigation team told the South Korean government that they will ask China’s People’s Liberation Army to rejoin the Military Armistice Commission, and will request the North Korean People’s Army also send representatives to the Joint Observer Team. The UN Special Investigation Team also reportedly stressed the need to resolve the Cheonan incident through dialogue. The UN Command Military Armistice Commission composed a special investigation team on May 22 to look into the cause of the Cheonan sinking.

Now, with North Korea still selling nuclear technology, and Wen Jiabao getting his meeting in Seogwipo – a place I’ve visited I’d never thought to see in a news story about diplomacy – this entire incident looks like a win-win game for both the PRC and the DPRK.

Filed under: East Asia, Korea, Maritime, Military, WMD Tagged: cheonan, china, dprk, japan, jeju island, lee myung bak, north korea, nukes, prc, rok, un command military armistice commission, wen jiabao, yukio hayoyama