Does China approve of North Korea's nuke test?

[afleitch]

Also China's economy is not built for war at all.  It is completely export driven and people would starve if they fought Taiwan as the USA and other major trade partners would embargo and sanction them.

Bingo. It's boom time in China and the government would never risk that. The youth are complacent when it comes to communism because it is providing material gain. Any slowdown and they will get restless.

[afleitch]

...I think the US should pull out of SKorea and Japan.  Those countries are rich enough to provide for their own security.

I totally agree! We should give them a timetable privately and pull out of the region. Japan should rearm and play a major role in Asia.

We will have to rewrite treaties; rearmament even in our favour could see Japan in breach of its conditions of surrender in 1945.

[NewFederalist]

...I think the US should pull out of SKorea and Japan.  Those countries are rich enough to provide for their own security.

I totally agree! We should give them a timetable privately and pull out of the region. Japan should rearm and play a major role in Asia.

We will have to rewrite treaties; rearmament even in our favour could see Japan in breach of its conditions of surrender in 1945.

Fine. Let's get on with it.

[afleitch]

...I think the US should pull out of SKorea and Japan.  Those countries are rich enough to provide for their own security.

I totally agree! We should give them a timetable privately and pull out of the region. Japan should rearm and play a major role in Asia.

We will have to rewrite treaties; rearmament even in our favour could see Japan in breach of its conditions of surrender in 1945.

Fine. Let's get on with it.

I think you would have to get the UK, France and the Russians on board (though I'm not sure who the signatories were)

[The Dowager Mod]

This is a huge slap in the face for China.

[NewFederalist]

...I think the US should pull out of SKorea and Japan.  Those countries are rich enough to provide for their own security.

I totally agree! We should give them a timetable privately and pull out of the region. Japan should rearm and play a major role in Asia.

We will have to rewrite treaties; rearmament even in our favour could see Japan in breach of its conditions of surrender in 1945.

Fine. Let's get on with it.

I think you would have to get the UK, France and the Russians on board (though I'm not sure who the signatories were)

Somehow if the Japanese just voted to change their Constitution and began to rearm I doubt that they would really need anyone's blessing including the US. I am sure if Russia, France, China and the UK complained and went to the Security Council the result would be much the same as it is with Iran or North Korea. Nothing would come of it. I just think it is time the US finally acknowledged that World War II is over in Asia and stopped playing policeman. The nations there are fairly well balanced (North Korea being the obvious exception!) now and should be able to keep the peace without the US providing a tripwire for our involvement. And if they can't keep the peace, why do we want to get involved?

[afleitch]

I'm all for Japan rearming and the old allies getting down to allow her to do so (nukes and all IMO) but we do have legal technicalities that would have to be ironed out. After all East Germany was not allowed to unite with the West until the old allies signed an agreement to allow them to do so; the same awkward rules still apply.

[NewFederalist]

I'm all for Japan rearming and the old allies getting down to allow her to do so (nukes and all IMO) but we do have legal technicalities that would have to be ironed out. After all East Germany was not allowed to unite with the West until the old allies signed an agreement to allow them to do so; the same awkward rules still apply.

Like I said three of four frames ago, let's get on with it!

[AN Y]

No. China may be providing aid to North Korea, but that does not mean that the two countries like each other any better than China likes the United States. And as the top priority for China's leadership is economic growth, they would rather cuddle up to the U.S. and its allies than North Korea, which many Chinese regard as behind the times. Plus, there are always intrigues.

No, China wants to have total control in that region.

China would want neither North Korea nor Japan to break its growth into a hegemonic power. North Korea's nukes might "threaten the security and well-being" of the Chinese state.

[The Dowager Mod]

Don't forget Taiwan either.

[Joe Republic]

Definitely not.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

Definitely not.

Actions speak louder than words.  If China, a nation that executes more people than all other nations combined, refuses sanctions, then we'll have our answer.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

Definitely not.

Actions speak louder than words.  If China, a nation that executes more people than all other nations combined, refuses sanctions, then we'll have our answer.

was this a fair statement?

[Cubby]

jmfcst, what does this issue have to do with Christianity? There must be some link or else you wouldn't care about it. The only one I can think of is that maybe you hate China for persecuting Christians.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

jmfcst, what does this issue have to do with Christianity? There must be some link or else you wouldn't care about it. The only one I can think of is that maybe you hate China for persecuting Christians.

Next time, wait at least until 5am to post.

[© tweed]

Definitely not.

Actions speak louder than words.  If China, a nation that executes more people than all other nations combined, refuses sanctions, then we'll have our answer.

was this a fair statement?

Very much so!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6051704.stm

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

yes.  the only reason they voted w/ the rest of the sec. cou. was to avoid confrontation b/c they know that 1 billion + NK vs. rest of world--the world still wins.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

No. China has something like $800 billion of US debt. A nuclear North Korea is not in their interests.

[Joe Republic]

Definitely not.

Actions speak louder than words.  If China, a nation that executes more people than all other nations combined, refuses sanctions, then we'll have our answer.

Whatever you say, but my answer is even more of a definite no than before.

[The Dowager Mod]

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20587473-2703,00.html
China is hinting at a regime change in North Korea.

[NewFederalist]

China is hinting at a regime change in North Korea.

Wouldn't that be lovely!

[John Dibble]

China is hinting at a regime change in North Korea.

Wouldn't that be lovely!

Well, for the people of NK it likely would be in the long run no matter how it came about(be hard to make it worse), though how it would be for the rest of the region would depend on how the change went about.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Right now North Korea is to China what an "emotionally disturbed" juvenile delinquant kid is to their parents. They don't wish they were stuck with them, but they basically are. China would love to see Kim gone and anyone sane running NK, it'd be better for them economically too. The problem is, the collapse of the North Korean regime would lead to a massive refugee crisis that would cause a huge headache for China, so they don't have much choice but to keep sending aid to keep propping up Kim. But they sure as hell don't want Kim causing trouble, which is what just happened.

North Korea has become a giant festering sore on the region, and it's bad news for all countries involved, nukes or not. Get rid of Kim and the nukes, and you still have a country left that's an economic basket case that's going to be a massive drain on the resources of everyone surrounding it. China, Japan and South Korea are all stuck between a rock and a hard place, they don't really have a good course of action to take.

[NewFederalist]

Very well said, BRTD.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

Don't know why you all trust China when it is actively blinding U.S. satellites. 

NKorea's preparation for a 2nd nuke test doesn't seem like it is too concerned China will actually implement any stern sanctions.