HONOLULU -- Northeast Asia watchers were treated to a curious sight last week: high-profile foreign policy activism by Beijing. The Chinese government was publicly pushing the United States and North Korea to the negotiating table. It's unclear whether this approach marks a new phase of Chinese diplomacy or is merely a one-off, but the high-stakes move is an intriguing departure from Beijing's typically cautious behavior.

Chinese President Hu Jintao dispatched a special envoy to North Korea's supreme leader, Kim Jong Il. Reportedly, the envoy, Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo, gave Kim a letter from Hu urging him to resume negotiations with the U.S. The fact that China let it be known that Dai had a letter suggests that it is willing to be seen pushing Kim. Dai followed that trip with a Washington visit to brief top U.S. officials on the meetings. Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing also called Secretary of State Colin Powell to discuss developments.

Beijing usually shuns such high-visibility maneuvers. In general, pressuring a foreign government could be construed as the first step toward interference in the domestic affairs of a sovereign state. In the North Korean context, showing its hand risks revealing the true extent of Chinese influence in Pyongyang -- which might be considerably less than the world believes. Old guard communists are also likely to be less than thrilled with Beijing pressuring a longtime ally.