” China opposes any military activity in the country’s exclusive economic zone without its permission, “
IMO, those, including our own Government, who are placing their reliance on China to resolve this situation are clinging to a vanishingly thin reed....
China signalled its position quite clearly when its first considered action after the shelling attack was to cancel Ministerial-level meeting (Defense, IIRC) in Seoul - and this latest pronouncement pretty much reinforces that....
I’ve suspected for some time, now, that China, in its calculations (”Never assume that your adversary is making the same calculations that you are..”) sees more upside than downside, for its interests, to the situation-as-is, and possibly, even, some advantage to be gained from open hostilities....
Three Potentially Disastrous Outcomes From Ben Bernanke's QE 2 Wager
China should also be calculating that one of the responses might be a blockade of their ports - checking for weapons, etc.
Also, a first step would be to warn all westerners to get out of the country. That would put _lots_ of business on hold which would surely play well with it's population.