[TigerLikesRooster]

Chia Head also has 2nd nuclear test in the pipeline. If he doesn't get what he wants, he will set it off.

Japanese reaction to this could change the entire situation. Actually, I suspect Japanese LDP establishment let Chia Head carry out all the way to 2nd nuke test and respond with an undoing of their post-war set-up. Or Obama capitulate badly to Chia Head before that, and make Japan furious. Either way, they could invite a dramatic change in Japan. Peace constitution, and non-nuke pledge could be gone. Japan gets more assertive.

What would China do when this happens? They had better do something more than just getting scared.

[AmericanInTokyo]

This is certainly what we mean when we say "DESTABILIZING"!

Wake up OBAMA! Hellooooooo????

[AmericanInTokyo]

Weather near the Musudan-ri Taepodong-2 ICBM launch site as we speak (per Japanese forecasting). It is (at 1900 local), nearly 3 degrees C with rain, so means almost to a sleet. I think the weather is bad for tomorrow (1 April), but from the next day (2 April), weather is better, average wind speed about 14km/h at the site. Weather varies from bad to so-so into the weekened. Perhaps they have their best shot from 6 April onward. This is subject to change. They cannot afford to launch in snow, sleet, rain and with high winds:

更新日時: 56 min 28 sec ago 3 ℃ 小雨 湿度: 88% 露点温度: 2 °C 風: ほぼ無風 突風: - 気圧: 1021 hPa (下降) 視程: 4.5 キロ UV: 0 out of 16 Elevation: 19 m Rapid Fire Updates:

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

China probably fears a nuclear armed Japan above anything else. If they don’t reign in Chia head that may be exactly what they get.

[sanchmo]

China has obviously already game-theoried this thing down several possibility branches... everything from the world cowering to nuclear Japan. Beijing and Russia could put a stop to it immediately if they had the will. Obviously they don’t.