[NYFriend]

Gotta understand how the Chinese think. Before they made this "blunt" and public statement, there would have been backchannel discussions telling DPRK to backoff. This clear public message either means that: 1) Kim has signaled that he'll back down, or 2) China is now making a real serious threat along the lines of, "knock it off or we'll end your rule".

China's not exactly on our side. They are their own side. They want to be top dog in Asia. The worst ending for them is to lose control of DPRK. That first test looks like a threat to us, ROK, and Japan, but to China it's a slap in the face.

[advertising guy]

with your insight, add this.China surely has their
John Wilkes Booth planted in NK. If the nutbag is actually
over the edge and intends to test again,he's out physically
or he is repremended all meaning it's China's play not NK

So the real demon in the stream is about to show
her hand.

[CFC__VRWC]

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.