I don’t disagree, but aiming “near” Guam provides plenty of gray area for misinterpretation.
Do you think the “Guam missile tests” will proceed?
Remember, I live on Guam.
So no, I don’t want N. Korea shooting missiles towards my house.
But, the gray area can be ironed out or clarified and it shouldn’t take that long. If I were T-Rex I’d be on the telephone right now asking the PRC “What constitutes starting something?” “How near Guam, Honolulu, Sapporo, Tokyo, Seoul, Guam or Saipan is near enough to be provocative?”
I expect that to happen.
As part of the clarification process I’d also state that the US has no intention of invading N. Korea and that any joint military exercises between US and S Korean troops should not be considered provocation. If N. Korea doesn’t launch an attack they will not be attacked; period, full-stop. That is the real trap here not the overt missile launch by N. Korea. We don’t want N. Korea to claim that joint military maneuvers are enough provocation to start a war hoping the PRC will help.
Once again behind the scenes I’d sort of mention, “You know guys, N. Korea having these nuclear tipped missiles makes Japan and S. Korea nervous. Unlike us big powers who are more responsible N. Korea seems to not be very responsible. If they keep nuclear weapons then how can we refuse S. Korea and Japan from making some. And hey, if S. Korea and Japan go nuclear then do think Vietnam, The Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and TAIWAN would be far behind?”
China does not want those Pacific nations to be nuclear armed and able to stand up to the PRC’s neo-Imperial designs
If this new policy by the PRC keeps N. Korea from making random threats every 6-months it is a win and a huge step forward. It means they can no longer use threats as bribes for foreign aid.
The specific terms can be clarified but this is a game changing win in that it changes the relationship between the PRC and the DPRK.
Just my opinions.