[GonzoGOP]

Japan doesn't need our nukes they could build their own in months. And the rockets they use to launch satellites could put them anyplace in the world they felt like. They also have some 1st class diesel boats that would give them second strike capability second only to our SSBNs.

If not for the Nukes the Japanese would make short work of NK. And if NK ever used their nukes on Japan they have to believe that they wouldn't live long afterwords, regardless of what the US, SK or anyone else does.

Thats why this whole thing confuses me. I can't figure out why China let Kim set of his fire cracker. There is no up side for either China or NK. We already knew The Dear Chia Leader had the bomb and were acting accordingly. If it had gone off perfectly it would not have changed the situation. The fact that it was a dud only hurts him.

And by setting it off he might force Japan and SK to start taking their defense seriously. Fact is if Japan decides to spend more than 1% of GNP on defense, goes nuclear or both then all of China's plans for dominating the Pacific go right out the window. The JMSDF can take on the PLAN with a good chance of victory as things stand now. And that is with China going all out and Japan building a few ships a year. And that doesn't even bring the USN, RAN or Taiwan.

[karnage]

I don't think Chia is Beijing's lapdog. My understanding is that NK is dependent on China for its economic survival, but Mr. Ronery seems rather unruly. Or should I say, unrooree.

[GATOR NAVY]

Thats why this whole thing confuses me. I can't figure out why China let Kim set of his fire cracker. There is no up side for either China or NK.

I think the Chicoms are operating under the assumption that what's bad for the U.S. is good for them.

[justa-hairyape]

Thats why this whole thing confuses me. I can't figure out why China let Kim set of his fire cracker. There is no up side for either China or NK.

Well if we back up and look at the big picture, it appears that Korea is being sacrificed by the Russians and the Chinese. Obviously neither nation cares about the Koreans otherwise they would have done something about the long term starvation. Now why would they sacrifice Korea while strengthening Japan ? Just a hunch , but oil may be the key. Japan has a weakness. It is oil. Same weakness they had in WWII. Japan cannot afford to have oil exports from the Mideast shut off. That means that the key component here is Iran and Russia/Chinas energy ambitions (The New Energy War). In a nut shell, perhaps Russia and China want the US bogged down in Korea or at least they want the Korea situation to prevent the US from handling or stopping the Iranians from going nuclear. Once Iran goes nuclear, Japan will have its oil turned off at the whim of the Mahdi wannabe, since nuclear blackmail can stop oil exports through the Straits of Hormuz. If this theoretical scenario was true, Russia and China must be relying on using oil to control the Japanese and obviously Western Europe/US. Just guessing here.