Posted on 10/19/2006 6:33:24 PM PDT by blam
China tells Kim not to carry out second nuclear test
By Richard Spencer in Beijing
Last Updated: 1:54am BST 20/10/2006
China delivered a blunt message to North Korea yesterday when it told its leader, Kim Jong-il, that he must not proceed with a second nuclear weapons test.
After China's state media suggested for the first time that Beijing might sever North Korea's oil supplies, a move which could conceivably precipitate the collapse of Kim's regime, a senior envoy arrived in Pyongyang to hand down a "personal message" from China's president, Hu Jintao.
Condoleezza Rice and South Korean foreign minister Ban Ki-moon in Seoul
China did not confirm what the message said, but American officials said they believed it to be a strongly worded warning.
The pressure from Kim's powerful neighbour appeared to be part of a co-ordinated international attempt to threaten him to come into line.
It came as Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, arrived in the South Korean capital, Seoul, to reinforce the United States' own threat that it would seek to toughen sanctions agreed at the United Nations if North Korea went ahead with a second test.
Miss Rice said negotiations were still possible, but added of the Chinese diplomat's visit: "I hope [China] has been successful in saying to North Korea that there is really only one path, which is denuclearisation and dismantlement of its programmes."
advertisementSatellite pictures this week spotted signs of activity around the site of last week's test, leading to suggestions that a second might be imminent. Kim has shown no signs of bowing to pressure other than agreeing to the meeting yesterday.
Kim's meeting with Tang Jiaxuan, a Chinese state councillor and former foreign minister, was his first with any representative of the outside world since North Korea conducted its test last week.
That he agreed to meet Mr Tang could be a sign that he is starting to feel pressure from the international community. He has been known to snub even senior Chinese leaders. "It's a sign that they are at least engaging," said one western diplomat.
But an official travelling with Miss Rice said: "Our understanding is that the North Koreans have not been in the mood to return to talks. If anything they are looking to escalate the crisis further."
The meeting was confirmed by both the Chinese and North Korean sides. "Discussed were the issues of developing the relations of friendship between the two countries and ensuring peace and security on the Korean Peninsula," was the bland report of the meeting by the Korean Central News Agency.
The Chinese foreign ministry did not give details of the meeting's outcome, but said: "This is a very significant visit, against the backdrop of major changes on the Korean Peninsula."
A spokesman did not say what China thought those changes were, but the two countries are formally allied, committed to coming to each other's defence if either is attacked. Since the same spokesman queried a journalist's use of the term "ally" last week,
Chinese academics have been wondering whether this relationship can continue. "I think the alliance is over, to be replaced by something like 'normal friendly relations'," said one.
A sign of serious deterioration in the relationship was provided by the overseas edition of the Communist Party mouthpiece, People's Daily.
"North Korea's nuclear test touched China's warning line," said the paper. "If North Korea doesn't cease from behaviour that might worsen the situation… China might stop providing oil and grain to North Korea."
The threat was contributed by a senior researcher at a government think-tank. Although it represented his personal opinion, the newspaper has historically been used by the party to hint at changes of policy and the piece was unlikely to have been published without serious consideration of its implications.
Three years ago, China briefly cut off North Korea's supplies of oil, of which it provides about 90 per cent, to persuade it to join talks on its nuclear weapons programme. China is also thought to provide half of North Korea's grain imports.
Now thats a tough question, My assumption is the North Koreans, I mean they are brainwashed so badly that they think that North Korea is in fact the Strongest Country and "only ones to have Nukes" in the World.
They probably also think the US is a Tiny Island that is a Rogue States and they are the Evil while Kim is the Angel.
And believe me, Alot of these people will die for the Dear Leader because they actually think he is dear.
NK, Pakistan and Iran have the Chinese bomb design.
Which is a knockoff of our W-88 design, thanks to Wen-Ho-Lee.
There was an article here yesterday talking about how that train incident was probably a chinese assasination attempt. That makes perfect sense to me.
Kim Jong Il knows that the Chinese are after him now that he is done this test. China will not allow itself to be humiliated.
I added the "more." They don't have much but to die for dear leader. Much as the Russian conscripts in WWII. Either die by the guns of the Germans or die by the guns of the political officers.
Kimmy boy better listen up.
Anybody think the Chinese would be slightly perturbed if a radioactive cloud of Plutonium heads north across the border after one of Kim's high school shop class nukes?
Yup. Sure do. What-ever became of that?
Interesting development! Kim can embarrass the Chinese by heeding their warning, make himself appear to be their puppet, lose a little face in order to make them lose face.
Of course if he doesn't take heed, they would lose more face and---he could lose more than face.
This is embarrassing to the US. They flip us the bird and China goes over once and he cowers like a dog. This makes China look strong and we look like crap.
I don't think so.
It is so easy for us to offer our democratic rogues against their one puny rogue.
Nuclear armed Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan would be utter humiliation of China.
Don't forget we once had tactical nukes of our own in South Korea prior to 1991.
We have lots of cards to play against China on this.
Kim Jong Il is toast.
Do you think so? It's just more reasonable for the Chinese to deal with him. They're the ones with the trailer park neighbors.
If Mexico were run by an insane dictator given to testing nukes and mass starvation, we would look feeble to let China handle them. They'd insist that we do it. Well, perhaps we quietly offered China the first crack at NK, and told them that if they don't take it, we will.
Nah.
The whole world knows the Chinese are acting now because we told them to...or else.
Not quite right. North Korea has always been squeezed between Japan and China. There is no evidence that The Soviets had very much to do directly with North Korea.
North Korea has indeed been propped up by Red China. NK imports most of its stuff from Red China. North Korea's economic problem has always been that it has nothing anybody wants and therefore has little to trade.
Who is the greatest threat to America, North Korea or terrorist? Answer: Liberals.
I can't help but think that this statement is strictly for public consumption, to make China appear to be cracking down on N. Korea. And frankly, why should Dear Leader think the Chinese are serious about their threats this time? They've done nothing but rattle their saber at him, and except for that brief cutoff of oil, they've taken no real action to rein him in. And especially since China pretty much gutted the latest piece of toilet paper from the UN before the ink was even dry, by announcing they wouldn't enforce it.
My guess is that Kim will do his next nuke test anyway, the Chinese will make a show of howling, and then someone else in the area (Russia or South Korea) will take the tag and pretend to jump in the middle of the two. Everyone gets enough cover to save face, North Korea continues to do it's thing with under the table help from the whole stinking crew, and nothing changes until they all decide it's time to give us another headache.
The Albright/Clinton Legacy
http://www.cafenetamerica.com
Nah. We have no leverage with NK. Conventional war is a non starter and Harry Trumanizing Pyongyang ain't gonna happen. We do however have leverage where the Chinese are concerned, both economically and through the proliferation of nukes in Japan and Taiwan. That leverage must be exerted very quietly and sparingly though because it is rapidly running out. China ia the bull that owns the China Shop.
It will once again be a MAD, MAD world.
"It is a sad reflection on the people of North Korea that there is not a single person with enough courage to get rid of him."
1) it is nearly impossible to unseat an established dictator. with multiple secret police agencies, etc., that country is arguably the most repressive state on earth. It isn't like anyone not thoroughly vetted over years and years gets close to the guy. Do you think you could make a difference if you lived in DPRK?
2) there are reports out of china detailing a few DPRK military insurrections over the last 8 years or so, though none were successful. IF even one had not been quickly suppressed, he might not be in power today.
3) the train explosion a while back may have been an assassination attempt.
When the entire country is nothing more than an appendix for china, dear leader better watch out, or china may take a big dump right through him.
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