Hong Kong- China deserves full credit for dragging Kim Jong-Il back to the negotiating table in the aftermath of North Korea's nuclear test. Chinese diplomats brokered the diplomatic breakthrough after intense behind-the-scenes haggling with North Korea. And Chinese support enabled the UN Security Council to slap Pyongyang with sanctions soon after the blast. China's promise to crack down on illicit bank transactions with North Korea, reiterated this week, have also put steel into U.S. efforts to lock down Pyongyang's overseas assets. And last but not least, China appears to have cut off oil shipments to North Korea in September, just to make sure Kim got the message.

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