[stuck_in_new_orleans]

I've read other reports that China and NK are not so buddy-buddy. Millions of starving NK's stream into China at an alarming rate and this has caused recent "border incidents" with Chinese and North Korean soldiers.

China may be "egging" on the NK's but I doubt it goes any further than that.

[maui_hawaii]

I categorize those things as minor short term issues in China's hopes for the big picture.

Yeah, it is true. There are some conflicts here and there.

China though wants to use N. Korea to their advantage, but N. Korea is not playing along as China would like.

[JasonC]

Oh, it goes further than than alright. They are aiding the NK nuclear program. They provide buckets of aid. Yes, they want to keep the populace more or less in place, and not have them all run away into China proper. But that is also something the governments of NK and China agree on - keeping the NK slaves on the farm. It is not like NK is willing to let them go - or like China welcomes them.

[Steel Wolf]

I've read other reports that China and NK are not so buddy-buddy. Millions of starving NK's stream into China at an alarming rate and this has caused recent "border incidents" with Chinese and North Korean soldiers. China may be "egging" on the NK's but I doubt it goes any further than that.

China and North Korea are not buddy buddy at all. They use each other in some respects, and struggle in others. The hand of the Chinese does not pull the string of the North Koreans, and if it did, they would have pulled back.

The sad fact of the matter is that China has lost a lot of influence over the NKs, and realize that they are playing with matches in a pool of gasoline. They'll wash their hands of them the minute things get dirty, but until then they'll try and keep them just barely afloat enough to be a thorn in our side.