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Powell: US and China have 'shared view' on N. Korea
Straits Times ^

Posted on 02/20/2003 4:51:28 PM PST by DeaconBenjamin

WASHINGTON -- China and the United States have a 'shared view' on North Korea, Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Thursday, despite apparent differences of approach on how to ease the peninsular nuclear crisis.

Mr Powell, who is due in Beijing as part of a three-nation Asian tour on Sunday, said that Beijing and Washington were closely cooperating on the issue.

'Certainly the situation in North Korea will be a subject of considerable interest and discussion,' he said.

'The United States and China do have a shared view that the North Korean nuclear programme is not acceptable and that the Korean Peninsula must not have nuclear weapons.

'That is a position that President Bush and President Jiang Zemin took publicly when President Jiang Zemin visited Crawford,' said Mr Powell, speaking after talks with Nato Secretary-General George Robertson.

Officials said later that Mr Powell would meet Mr Jiang and new Communist Party chief Hu Jintao in Beijing.

Mr Powell earlier said that he would hold his fifth face-to-face meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan in seven weeks while he is in the Chinese capital.

He is likely to ask China to exploit more of its leverage with Pyongyang, as the Stalinist state's top trade partner and aid benefactor.

But analysts say that China is likely to tell him it is doing all it can, and to urge the US to launch bilateral talks with North Korea.

Top US officials have in recent days signalled that they want to address the issue in a multilateral forum, arguing that the North's development of nuclear weapons is a regional security problem -- not simply a US headache.

Mr Powell's visit will take place as the clock ticks down to a possible war with Iraq, and he is also expected to discuss the US effort to unite the United Nations Security Council behind a new disarmament resolution.

'He will discuss with the Chinese, as permanent members of the Security Council, the importance of the Council taking action on Iraq,' said State Department spokesman Richard Boucher.

Mr Powell would also stress 'the importance of the council standing by its previous resolutions, the fact that Iraq has failed to cooperate and (argue) it's time for the Council to reach a judgment on the consequences,' he said.

But Mr Powell may be in for a tough sell.

Mr Jiang and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on Wednesday that weapons inspections must continue in Iraq and vowed a joint diplomatic effort to resolve the crisis despite intensifying US military threats.

A Kremlin statement said the two leaders promised during telephone talks to work in unison towards finding a political solution to the crisis through the UN -- where both Russia and China hold veto power. -- AFP


TOPICS: Breaking News; Foreign Affairs; Government
KEYWORDS:

1 posted on 02/20/2003 4:51:28 PM PST by DeaconBenjamin
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To: DeaconBenjamin
Powell over there this weekend? I presume the bombing of Iraq won't start 'til next week then.
2 posted on 02/20/2003 4:53:59 PM PST by anniegetyourgun
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To: DeaconBenjamin
I told everybody that China couldn't afford have their cheap junk sales to us cut off just yet. North Korea is doing this on their own.
3 posted on 02/20/2003 4:54:10 PM PST by Hillarys Gate Cult ("Read Hillary's hips. I never had sex with that woman.")
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To: Hillarys Gate Cult
North Korea is doing this on their own.

NK could be partitioned. China and America could share the burden for a few years until some of the NKs get mature enough to manage their own country.

4 posted on 02/20/2003 4:58:09 PM PST by RightWhale
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To: Hillarys Gate Cult
The Chinese are devious beyond anything most Americans can comprehend. They think 6 steps ahead, which is far more than most American strategists, even ones of fair talent. They are up to something. Most likely the North Koreans were not given carte blanche but were allowed to take a stand in order to preserve their own regime (by extension China's buffer zone) and draw U.S. attention away from Taiwan.
5 posted on 02/20/2003 4:58:53 PM PST by American Soldier
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Comment #6 Removed by Moderator

To: silverlizzard
Perhaps Powell should take into consideration the aid China has given NK and Pakistan in the development of their nuclear programs. Does this sound reasonable that China is now concerned with the role NK is playing? China openly helped Iraq install fibre optics to increase their communication capability as well as doing the same for the Taliban.

China gained most of their expertise in fibre optics by AT&T which acquired exclusive contracts to update China's communications. I am getting very concerned with our supposed friends. Saudi Arabia, China, Pakistan, are very questionable. Then throw in Turkey, France, Germany, Russia, etc. and have our Secretary of State quoting all the support we are getting. Is our government this gullible?

7 posted on 02/20/2003 5:22:34 PM PST by meenie
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To: DeaconBenjamin
So...from the headline it appears that China is going to bomb the cr@p out of them too.
8 posted on 02/20/2003 5:32:27 PM PST by TexanToTheCore
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9 posted on 02/20/2003 5:47:17 PM PST by Bob J
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To: DeaconBenjamin; maui_hawaii; AmericanInTokyo; tallhappy
Beltway insider suffering from mental impaction:

"The United States and China do have a shared view that the North Korean nuclear programme is not acceptable and that the Korean Peninsula must not have nuclear weapons."

Common sense thinker:

"No they don't!"

10 posted on 02/20/2003 5:53:11 PM PST by GOP_1900AD (Un-PC even to "Conservatives!" - Right makes right)
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To: meenie; Orion78
Yes, they are this gullible. They have been bit by an huge scam. The scam is called "The Perestroika Deception." This scam has caused a cascading series of geopolitical errors, based on the false premise that there are no longer anti-Western blocs. This is a dangerous assumption.
11 posted on 02/20/2003 5:56:07 PM PST by GOP_1900AD (Un-PC even to "Conservatives!" - Right makes right)
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To: DeaconBenjamin
I'd trust the monkeys-in-suits in Beijing about as much as I'd trust the little pot-bellied, champagne-swilling, psychopath in Pyongyang.
12 posted on 02/20/2003 6:10:15 PM PST by DoctorMichael (Tag THIS!)
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To: DeaconBenjamin
Here come the warm jets.
13 posted on 02/20/2003 6:28:37 PM PST by ScholarWarrior
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To: belmont_mark
The "shared view" is only valid in a very narrow and short term sense. Anything beyond the next six months and/or the immediate fit throwing would be foolish to characterize as "a shared view"...
14 posted on 02/20/2003 7:14:42 PM PST by maui_hawaii
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To: American Soldier
Most likely the North Koreans were not given carte blanche but were allowed to take a stand in order to preserve their own regime

FWIW, Monsoor Ijaz said last week that China had refused to sell them the detenators they needed for the nukes.

And I agree with you. I don't believe that the US and China share a common view about those nukes or the Korean Peninsula at all.

15 posted on 02/20/2003 7:38:04 PM PST by Lion's Cub
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To: DeaconBenjamin
Same Chicom gov't that massacred Chinese students in Tiannamen Square.(Wonder how that would've come out if the Chinese people had the right to keep and bear arms??????)
American Soldier is right, they are sooo devious, and not to be trusted.
16 posted on 02/21/2003 7:14:50 AM PST by angry beaver norbert
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To: belmont_mark
Actually, the Chinese pay off the NKs and for most of the last decade so have we. The Chinese don't confront their NK clients, and we don't confront them either. We promised to build them light water reactors, and the Chinese send them chemicals to extract plutonium from used reactor fuel. Oops. He didn't mean that kind of "shared view", did he?

China uses NK as a plausible denial "cut out" of their own weapons proliferation activities. To NK itself, also to the middle east. If China actually wanted NK not to have nukes, they'd stop sending them stuff used to make nukes. And if they were serious about getting the NK regime to change course on anything, they'd cease aid and trade while opening the border - and NK would collapse as a country inside of 6 months.

17 posted on 02/21/2003 8:36:25 AM PST by JasonC
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To: American Soldier
The Iraq/N Korea crises is just another China plot against USA. Let’s look at the chain of events in these few years.

Either by design or just coincidence, the 9/11 attack on America is a master plan conceived by China. Actually, the war plan was first published on a book titled “Unrestricted War” (a.k.a. Asymmetric Warfare) written by two Chinese Colonels (Qiao Liang and Wang Xiangsui) of the People’s Liberation Army. Published three years before the bombing of the World Trade Center, the military manual clearly outlined such attack on WTC and frequently mentioned Osama bin Laden. Who has heard of bin Laden three years before 9/11? And, in China? China is known for keeping anything remotely military under secret. Why do they publish this book and put it on public sale all over China? Could it be just an alibi so that China can innocently claim: “We published this book just for fun but Osama bought it on the newsstand. Too bad.” Do you believe the link between 9/11 and China is pure coincidence? (A CIA translated English edition is available from newsmaxstore.com or amazon.com)

China’s plan was to weaken America both militarily, economically and, most of all, to diminish America’s political muscle as a superpower. When America attacked Afghanistan, China’s blueprint was to help the Taliban and al Qaeda to prolong the war to further drain America’s strength and to bog America down in an endless military conflict in the Middle East so that China can have a free hand in Asia. Fortunately, the Afghan war didn’t work out that way. But, only this time...

All these hostilities are not only directed towards America and her people. To put it more exactly, they are targeted at President Bush. Still reminiscing the good old days when they have a Democratic President in the White House which doubles as a Chinese mole. Convinced that they cannot bribe Bush like they did with the ex-Traitor-in-Chief Clinton, China’s top priority is to remove President Bush and/or to guarantee that he doesn’t get reelected in the second term. Even another Republican president is not acceptable. They can’t wait to have another Clinton in the White House again. Is Hilary another China’s dream come true? It’s better than having a ChiCom in the White House.

China’s clandestine conspiracy of inflicting the greatest damage to America without firing a single shot works so brilliantly so far. Most splendidly, America cannot do anything about it, not even pointing an accusing finger. Who can back-stab Bush and can still be a guest at Camp David? You’ve got to admire Jiang Zemin’s crafty old mind for this. Due to different upbringing, American politicians are inherently no match for ChiComs in terms of sinister and treacherous craft. How do they survive the power struggle in the CCP and come out as a winner in the Politburo? Which political party on this planet can kill 30 million of her own people and can still remain in power?

China’s insidious strategy against America is truly multidimensional. It mobilizes all economic, military, political and diplomatic ordnance in one concerted campaign. Just when the American economy is gingerly showing some sign of rebound, the blockage of America’s planned attack on Iraq is another diplomatic coup orchestrated by China. This time, aiming to disarm America instead of Iraq. Unbelievable? Here’s how and why.

By aligning the consensus of nations which has common interests in the Middle East and those who are beneficiaries of a significantly crippled America, China concocts a scheme that leaves America cornered in the international arena and powerless to actively defend herself against all future terrorist attacks. But, as we all know, no passive surveillance can effectively protect a country such as America against any terrorist attacks unless you turn it into a police state, which is equally detrimental to her economy as another terrorist attack. Even America is willing to pay the price, it would make President Bush very unpopular in the home front. Bingo, no second term for Bush. Hi! Hilary. It’s China turn saying: “Let’s make love, not war.”

Why the Sino-Russian-Franco-German alliance? It is just a marriage of convenience. After the first Gulf War twelve years ago, American companies are banned from trading with Iraq. Countries like China, France, Germany and Russia quickly jumped in to fill in the vacuum. These lucrative businesses are in clear violation of UN’s embargo but the international community just turn a blind eye to it. Chinese technicians are crawling all over Iraq. They are certainly not there for any humanitarian programs. They are building fiber-optic communication systems for Iraqi military installations. Due to the illegal nature of these businesses, the profit margin is obscenely high. These petrochem trades are not only limited to refining, distributing and selling Iraqi oil in the black market. French, German (and probably Russian) petrochem front companies operating in Iraq don’t even have to pay for the Iraqi crude in hard currency. As chemical companies, how difficult would it be for them to source those WMD (bio-chem-nuke) producing equipments on Saddam Hussein’s shopping list? German media have reported that German supliers are involved in the mobile labs and weaponized smallpox but Schroder covered this up due to the coming election. The anti-American platform he is employing would be seen as a bad publicity. See? Two-way profit. Iraq is a gold mine to them. By protecting Saddam Hussein, they are only protecting their important source of income which would be all down the drain if the Gulf War II becomes a reality. Moreover, the aftermath of a U.S. controlled Iraq is something they don’t want to see.

This brings us to N Korea. Reports have shown that Kim-Jong-Il had already obtained the necessary material from China’s PLA long before they restart their nuclear plant. This is supposed to be a well kept secret between the two brothers. Surprisingly, as if triggered by a remote control switch, Kim suddenly admitted the existence of their nuclear program, threw out the IAEA inspectors, revoked all treaties, followed by daily rhetorics and war chants against America. Why such high profile and provocative stance? Why now? Kim’s unexpected brinkmanship is just a show conducted by his overseer -- China. It is timed exactly as a window of opportunity to divert America’s military attention from Iraq so that America has to fight the looming Iraqi war with one hand tied. They have never underestimated America’s military strength to fight in two fronts. But one front against biological and another against nuclear threat might just be another story.

In the diplomatic arena, China (aligned with France, Germany and Russia) had concocted another scheme to further weaken America (and UK) in the current geopolitical position. By blocking the attack on Iraq, they want to establish an unwritten principle that the possession and manufacture of WMD alone is not a crime. Their argument is almost water tight, America has these weapons too, and so has Pakistan and India. Therefore, owning WMD alone is not a crime by recognized international law.

If the war on Iraq is successfully blocked, the UN, NATO and European Union are essentially sanctioning the ownership of WMD by rogue nations and leaving them untouchable. On the other hand, they are saying a terrorist can only be incriminated by their acts. One nation’s “terrorist” is another’s “freedom fighter”. No nation can attack them preemptively basing on circumstantial evidence. That means, unless they are apprehended in their act, terrorists are just as innocent as any religious group.

Let us combine the above two principles together. What is the implication? Is a mushroom cloud over New York or Washington enough evidence? Everyone knows that it is an atomic device smuggled into America but who did it? Just intention and motives are no solid evidence recognized by the international community. Up to this minute, Osama bin Laden hasn’t expressly admitted that 9/11 is his deed. If and when this happens, will someone like Joschka Fischer say “Excuse me. I am not convinced!” again?

Ridiculous as it may sound, if this philosophy is widely accepted as the international consensus, who in the world is more likely subjected to terrorist attacks than America? Is that what China and those who has everything to gain but very little to lose want to see? The bottom line is: As long as the WMD owner/manufacturer, nationless terrorist who delivers and detonates them in America, and the nations who harbor them are three separate entities, they are untouchable. No body can do anything about them. Not even America, the superpower (or ex-superpower), now the victim. In 9/11, you have seen an Arabic jihadist carrying out a Chinese plan from Afghanistan. Care to guess what the combination is for the next attack?

This plan is refined to perfection that even after the attack, with the jihadists martyred, America cannot accuse anyone. The most horrific is: the perpetrator is still sitting in the UN Security Council, smirking about America’s inability to retaliate and get at the mastermind behind these attacks. And, continue to humiliate America through political and diplomatic channels by accusing her of bullying, aggression and war mongering.

My deduction of the recent development is: the UN, NATO and EU are adapting dangerous policies that are affecting the very existence of America (plus a few of her true allies). And, America has very little room to maneuver but a great deal to lose. This diplomatic gambit is equivalent to an undeclared war in the diplomatic circle. If these policies become the new order of the world, frankly, I am not optimistic. I cannot foresee how America can get out of this quagmire because she is clearly outnumbered. Among other things, America is a superpower because of her military superiority. Once this advantage is nullified by this international scheme, not only America will become vulnerable. The world will be thrown into chaos. If the new order of the world is no order at all, what will it become without a police?

The treacherous scheme also makes attacking America a highly profitable business. All one needs to know is the exact date of the next attack on America. Then they can sell war sensitive stocks short on the stock market and/or sell selective commodities short on the future market. When the attack happens and the market crash, they are guaranteed to reap billions of profits from the market. They don’t even need working capitals since they are on the selling side. Is that one more reason for nations to side with and sympathize with terrorists? One little tip on the date of attack is worth billions of dollars. Is this how terrorists are financed and how they repay their supporters and benefactors? Is this why France and Germany change side? Bottom line: With America’s hands tied and rendered defenseless by the UN, NATO and EU, what counter measure does she have to stop this? They are making attacking America legal, safe, easy and profitable.

ChiCom has emerged as the nouveau riche of the new century and shed their drab Maoist costume for business suits. They have to at least look decent before their peers and cannot afford to be labeled as a rogue nation. Therefore, any vicious plan has to be carried out by hired hands (al Qaeda, Iraq, Iran) or by her client states (North Korea). This strategy of “war of proxy” will be used whenever China wants to hamper America until she is ready to challenge America with one major showdown, probably nuclear in WWIII. Apparently, America has no counter measure against the present and future Chinese instigated conflicts if China continues with this game plan.

China has long consider America as the only major deterrent to her aggression in the Asian region. For obvious reasons, China wants America out of Asian business, once and for all. China wants to have a free hand in Asian matters so that she can become the eventual overlord in the Eastern Hemisphere.

China has long been at odds with Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia over the oil rich Spratley Islands in the South China Sea; with India over disputes of the border; and, with Japan over the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea. Moreover, China now reckons that her military might is at least on a par with Taiwan’s defense and, obviously, China has the numerical advantage in the size of force. However, the only hurdle to a military advance across the strait is America’s intervention. Meanwhile, China has a time table to meet. They are eager to complete the reunification, by force or by political arm twisting, before 2008 -- the year of the Olympic in Beijing.

The current geopolitical perspective is much more volatile than the cold war era (How I miss Reagan and Thatcher, even Gorbachev). The once solid foundation of the world order is now eroded to the core. The borderline between wrong and right, unjust and righteousness are obscured. International organization such as the UN, NATO and EU are letting rogue nations to rewrite the definition of moral and principle. The diplomatic circle is infested with pests each with their own agenda to witness the demise of America. When the last moral foundation of human kind disintegrates, everything could happen.

After 9/11, the demarcation between what is “war” and “non-war” does not exist anymore. If America is committed to defend herself and her position as the world’s greatest democratic nation, she has to take her future in her own hands. America is now fighting to preserve her existence and needs no one’s approval for that. After all, no nation should be denied of her power to defend her survival. It is time for America to take her gloves off and do what has to be done, no matter how you dislike it. There are times when you have to stare eye to eye against evil. Just don’t blink.

I am old enough to come to observe that there are less than 10% bad guys in the world. The worst thing is: out of the 90% good guys, 70% of them are stupid. 27:73, that’s why good guys are always outnumbered. I don’t blame God for making bad guys. His intention is to give mankind free choice. But I do question God for making stupid people to rally around bad guys and protect them. Pray for America, President Bush and the troops.
18 posted on 02/21/2003 10:13:52 AM PST by FreepForever (China is the hub of all evil)
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