New York Times: After Nuclear Test, China Resists Pressure to Curb North Korea
BEIJING — North Korea had detonated a nuclear bomb, and the president of China was urging caution. It was the fall of 2013, and the North’s third nuclear test in seven years, carried out several months earlier, had rattled much of the world.
But President Xi Jinping, in a private meeting with President Obama at Constantine Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia, warned against putting too much pressure on Kim Jong-un, the North’s young, volcanic leader.
“A barefoot person does not fear those who wear shoes,” Mr. Xi told Mr. Obama, invoking a Chinese proverb to convey that an impoverished nation like North Korea had nothing to lose by standing up to China and the United States. The conversation was recounted by an American diplomat familiar with the talks, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of angering the Chinese.
WNU Editor:China's posiiton on North Korea is all over the place. On the one hand China resists putting pressure on North Korea, on the other hand they support more sanctions .... China agrees to support U.N. sanctions against North Korea (UPI)
More News On The Diplomatic Moves Against North Korea
China says it supports 'necessary' U.N. response to North Korea test -- Reuters
China OKs ‘necessary' UN action on North Korea over H-bomb test -- The Australian
S Korea, China split over level of sanctions on N. Korea -- Yonhap News Agency
N. Korea slams S. Korea for asking China to help rein in Pyongyang -- Yonhap News Agency
N.Korea calls for peace treaty, halt to exercises, to end nuclear tests -- Reuters
North Korea offers peace treaty, end of nuclear tests -- Washington Times
North Korea Offers Nuclear-Test Halt If U.S. Stops Drills -- Bloomberg
North Korea: Nuclear test aimed at U.S., not South Korea -- UPI
Kerry to Visit Beijing for Talks on Situation in North Korea -- Sputnik
Kerry to visit China for talks on N. Korea -- Yonhap News Agency
US Diplomat: N. Korea, Greatest Source of Instability in NE Asia -- VOA
2 comments:
One tends to be "all over the place" when one has either 1.)a multitude of interests they need to satisfy and resources are limited, or 2.)they are double dealing and playing one side off of the other for nefarious purposes.
In the US, reason 1 likely applies. As for China, it does not face the resource limit constraints the way the US does and its power structure seems to be centered entirely in the leadership. As such, there would be no other "interests" except those of the leadership. As a result of this, it seems to me that 2 applies more to China. With that said I would not rule out possibility 1 in regards to China.
Regardless of the situation, as I said after NK detonated the hydrogen bomb, we CANNOT count on the Chinese to help us here but they are on record as saying they oppose this action by NK. Perhaps there is some way to use this to our advantage nevertheless foreign policy for the US should be predicated on the idea that China does not support any actions to thwart NK, will actively undermine such actions, and will actively support NK to the max against America.
Lastly, SK leaders and US leaders need to understand in such a war with NK China, Russia, and probably most of the BRICS are going to be involved on the side NK and the NK bloc would win this war. The best the US and its "allies" can hope to do is make the victory so pyric that North Korea and its allies would not want to consider out of the understanding that it is going to cost to much to attempt.
With a policy based upon reality as opposed to fantasies or ideology good outcomes are still possible. Without such things good outcomes are problematic at best. God help us all.
China doesn't want to "do anything" about the NORK's.
They want "business as ususal", because a NORK collapse would send millions of refugees their way,
too much pressure on the NORK's could cause them to lash out, which would spark a regional war with some of China's largest trading customers damaged and regional trade curtailed,
which is bad for business.
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