NKorea warns China of sanction consequences

High-resolution photographs of the aiframe for North Korea’s Pukguksong submarine-launched ballistic missile have a surprise. The airframe appears be wound-filament, not the simple metal airframes we’ve seen on North Korea’s space launchers. That opens up a lot of possibilities for North Korea — and ticks off an important requirement North Korea to build a solid-fueled ICBM in the future.

http://www.armscontrolwonk.com/archive/1203086/wound-filament-airframes/

They have to be taken out before it is too late.

Chickens are coming home to roost. It is really disturbing to note that the speed of N. Korea's nuclear and missile development had picked up dramatically for a last few years, and there are lots of signs that China encouraged it. So many critical components and equipments flowed into N. Korea from China, according to recent reports: equipments critical to produce Lithium-6, a key ingredient to boost the yield of nuclear bomb, designs and components to produce a solid fuel rocket for mobile ICBM and SLBM. They also provided transporter erector launchers for mobile ICBM's.

This whole thing really throws into question Chinese sincerity in resolving N. Korea's nuclear problem. It seems that their red line is much farther than we expected, or there may be no effective one. They may have had vague idea of red line but without any teeth. A question remains why China are actively enabling it all of a sudden.

Well I don’t believe for a minute China wants Kims Nuclear problem “solved”...rather China’s faced with how they can have their cake and it it too by continuing to assist N.Korea with it’s Nuclear ambitions (which are China’s ambitions) and yet behave as a willing partner with the US and S. Korea in dismantling it..........at this juncture the ball still is in China’s court to play....

(However....given the fact that Kim -un has not visited China or met publicly with any senior Chinese official since he became leader in 2011...and that Kim executed his uncle who is thought to have been close to China and possibly Kims successor....And some think the death of Kims half brother, who was considered protected by China....all would indicate possibly Kim is not so favorable to china anymore.)

Link to the article you might find interesting

http://theduran.com/us-hopes-china-north-korea-pressure-unfounded/

The author has some misconception on possible economic sanction to China. It was to proceed if not used as a sort of bargaining chip. It is being held back. If anyone wants to solve this problem without shooting war, the key is to address a major gaping hole, China. Since we are going to avoid military confrontation, the other viable leverage is a economic offensive. It is not something cooked up solely to address N. Korean problem, but it was already in the agenda. If things do not work out, WH may have to go back to it.

N. Korea will complete nuclear triad, whether U.S. makes a deal with them or not, even after U.S. pull out all troops from South Korea. It is really a stupid idea to push appeasement now that it is patently apparent that there is no longer easy way out. U.S. has non-military leverage, but it always broadcast that it is so loathe to use it. What do you expect China to do in this setup?: stall and move on.

If U.S. waffles again, prepare the wholesale collapse of NPT regime. U.S. commitment to its key allies will be thrown into question. It is likely that U.S. will try to coerce allies to stay in NPT regime. It cannot control enemies, and the only precious leverage it has is to potentially punish its allies exposed to hostile threat. This has been how DC has been operating for some time. This is especially true for Japan.

Diplomats are brazenly angling for their action even when they did play such a vital role messing up the situation. I found it repulsive.

It’s a more than difficult situation to navigate.......I will not be surprised if nothing changes much. ...not so sure that Trump will go much further and likely end up in a deal which is just ore appeasement. China and Kim still in control regardless. Sanctions have not worked as the people are simply told they are sacrificing for the greater good of their country. It works because they are hard core nationalists...Still will they stand by and see another famine with people starving before their eyes and family members dying????? I tend to think not.

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