China gets tougher with North Korea

Asia Times ^ | 4.8.03 | Antoaneta Bezlova

[hchutch]

And it might not hurt to add in a new home port and staging base for Korea...

Officially, that is.

[edsheppa]

[China] can influence, but not demand.

Without Chinese support, the NK regime would collapse. Perhaps you mean that they can't make demands because if they did make serious demands it might trigger a war?

[Steel Wolf]

Certainly the whole range of offensive options is open to China if they chose to pressure North Korea. China pays off North Korea to keep them pointed south, but they refuse to pay more than a certain percentage. This may change, if they can't get us to come up with any food or energy.

China does not want the economic devastation that a war would bring to their already teetering economy. They also don't want North Korea to get too desperate, as Beijing is well within missile range. North Korea would not turn on China except as an absolute last resort, but the days of last resort will soon be upon them. Either we give them what they need to survive, or they will look elsewhere.

This is why China is so adamant that we deal with North Korea directly. The want North Korea to explode south, if it does at all. They will play silent partner to Kim Jong Il, if only out of concern for their own safety.

[edsheppa]

The Chinese are simply going to have to reevaluate. I'm sure they'll start seeing the light when the Bush admin turns its focus to Korea after Iraq. They'll be caught between a rock and a hard place. Getting our soldiers out of range of NK guns is just the first move.

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

Recklessness = The USA not being blackmailed.

Recklessness = people in that region being responsible for their OWN security.

Recklessness = N. Korea's decisions, and that of their supporters (ie; China) if they don't stop the dangerous precedence being set into motion by the N. Koreans.

[tallhappy]

This article is phony window dressing.

Yes. Asia Times spins things to make the ChiComs look responsible regularly.

[TLBSHOW]

If America would stop feeding the commies they would all fall but we are fools and its our fault that the commies are still around! Since the 1920's maybe we have been fools!

[Red Dog #1]

Seeing your cartoon makes me wonder if OBL is hiding because he’s scared of other Muslim radicals. Maybe they’ve figured out his miscalutions are responsibable for destroying the Taliban and Saddam’s Iraq.

[appeal2]

Well if the US is acting reckless, it's about time. I like to drive recklessly in rush hour traffic in a rental car. Try it some time.

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

Agree. If this is "recklessness".. it was a long time coming and sorely needed. Time to redefine the word!!

:o)

Perhaps Websters Dictionary should change "recklessness" to mean: Showing courage, showing decisiveness, intelligence. Laying responsibility where it SHOULD be. Moral fortitude.

Now as to driving that rental car recklessly in traffic,.. well thats kind of akin to what the N. Korean Govt. is doing with the "peoples" car (car = their country) isn't it? LOL

FRegards, Vets

[Leisler]

Must see. "All Your Iraq Belong To U.S.", here>

[tet68]

the only thing Communists respond to is force

They used to have a saying during the cold war,
"Advance to the point of the Bayonette!"

[Maelstrom]

Indonesia