China denounces "brazen" North Korea nuclear test

Reuters ^ | 10/09/06

[TigerLikesRooster]

China denounces "brazen" North Korea nuclear test

2 hours, 42 minutes ago

China said on Monday it firmly opposed North Korea's nuclear test, denouncing it as "brazen" in unusually strong language, and demanded Pyongyang stop any action that could worsen the situation.

China also urged North Korea to return to six-party talks it has hosted aimed at dismantling the North's nuclear programmes. The talks, which have been stalled for nearly a year, also group South Korea, Japan, the United States and Russia.

"The DPRK has ignored the widespread opposition of the international community and conducted a nuclear test brazenly on October 9," China's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on its Web site (www.fmprc.gov.cn).

The DPRK is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name.

"The Chinese government is firmly opposed to this," the Foreign Ministry said.

The statement used language that was unusually forceful for China, a neighbor and traditional Communist ally of North Korea that has advocated engagement and dialogue over stronger moves such as sanctions.

"The Chinese side strongly demands the North Korean side to abide by its pledges on denuclearisation and to stop any action that would worsen the situation," it said.

"Preserving peace and stability in northeast Asia accords with the joint interests of all sides. The Chinese government calls on all sides to respond calmly, and upholds a peaceful resolution through negotiation and dialogue."

[Al Gator]

Good point. I'm sure that if word got out, the entire population of NK would end up in China.

LOL, wouldn't that be a problem?

[Zhang Fei]

Good point. I'm sure that if word got out, the entire population of NK would end up in China. LOL, wouldn't that be a problem?

I think the Chinese have their eyes on the prize. Before making any military moves, you need to break your opponents' alliances.

Say in the worst case, Japan gets nukes. So what? Under the American nuclear umbrella, Japan is protected by 2,000 nuclear warheads. If Japan gets 100 nukes, how is that worse for China? In the realm of nuclear warheads, 2,000 might as well be infinity. If the US-Japan alliance holds after Japan goes nuclear, China would face 2,100 warheads. I don't see how that is materially different for China. And if the alliance breaks up, China just faces 100 warheads from Japan - without a tripwire force and a formal defense pact, Uncle Sam is unlikely to extend his nuclear umbrella to Japan. Once you get past China's self-serving statements, figuring out what it's doing isn't even all that difficult.

[Petey139]

I don't know where you get your facts but China already has it's poor civilians to deal with, Which is a handfull, If I remember right after an article posted of FR, China has atleast 30 Million People living below $1 a day (Which don't jump to conclusions that all they have is 30 Million Poor Civilians. I said those who live under $1 and not those living under $2 a day etc.) at 30 Million, Thats about North Korea's 24 Million Population. The next thing they need is to care for another 24 Million People. You cannot expect China to actually want 24 Million Kimmies to run wildly around.

[chilepepper]

If Japan splits off from the nuclear and conventional umbrella provided by Uncle Sam

That isn't what will happen. Japan will have a few of its own nukes *as well* as the existent nuclear umbrella, exactly like the UK, and to some extent the French force de frappe

With its own nukes, Japan can strike back on its own if attacked without having a weak US president mulling over an NK nuclear threat against L.A. in deciding whether or not to strike back at a nuclear attack on Sapporo, for example.

The big nuclear umbrella will protect against the big boys like China and Russia if it ever comes to that...

[LibLieSlayer]

Well before WWII, the Japanese used to send troops to china to kill chinese and train Japanese troops. This took place on a regular basis.

LLS

[LibLieSlayer]

And as for your last statement... any War against Japan would be a War with the US, and we would win under any scenario... albeit with great loss of life... but with no chicoms as the final solution.

I pray that this never happens... but we will win if it does.

LLS

[LibLieSlayer]

My, my... look at what the US GOVERNMENT stated today! Proves once again that I am right! Below is the link

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1716307/posts

UNITED NATIONS (AP) U.N. diplomats say the U.S. ambassador told the Security Council that Washington would view a North Korean attack on South Korea or Japan as an attack on the United States.

LLS

[LibLieSlayer]

Semantics are the weakest of argument tools.

Japanese kick chinese arse... end of story.

LLS

[RightWhale]

The test device may have gone off by accident. If some wires were unattached at the time that would explain the lack of symmetry. Possible sabotage.

[dfwgator]

Or it could just be that they are incompetent.

You mean like "Ron Zook" incompetent?

[WashingtonSource]

China coddled the monster and this is what they get.

[CFC__VRWC]

I've heard other figures estimating that it was several kilotons, maybe as many as 15. I'd take anything coming out of the South Korean government with a huge grain of salt. They're still hell-bent on their policy of appeasement at all costs, and it favors the appeasers to portray this as "no big deal."

Having said that, I wonder what the view of the South Korean people is after this test?

[gogeo]

The LDP has long waited for this little scenario to develop so that they could put a stake in the heart of the occupation constitution once and for all, without the streets exploding with lefties and other yahoos.

I agree that the restraint has been Japanese domestic politics.

[Minutemen]

Yeah, right. Chine gave NK the bomb (or looked the other way all these years)