U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un
Doug Bandow, National Interest: Kim Jong Un is Playing America and China
Lest anyone imagine that Kim Jong-un is an international ingénue, consider how well he played the People’s Republic of China. Long on Beijing’s as well as Washington’s naughty list, North Korea forced the PRC to come calling, finally inviting Kim to visit more than six years after he took power.
Two months later Kim made a second visit, and this one to the northern city of Dalian rather than more distant Beijing. He explains that he came to “strengthen strategic communication” with China’s President Xi Jinping. Did the latter promise additional support to keep the PRC involved?
For years U.S. policymakers imagined that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea was a puppet of China. In their mind, Beijing was targeting America with the DPRK. Their solution was to threaten the PRC unless it called off the North Koreans. If only the world was so simple.
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WNU Editor: Everyone is playing one against the other .... and everyone has their own agenda. But I do not think North Korea has a great hand. They are now being severely squeezed by sanctions, and if it continues it will jeopardize and threaten the existence of the North Korean regime. I think Kim Jong-un knows that, so he is now looking for the best deal. Personally .... I think North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un wants to make a deal on his terms with the South Koreans .... because he knows that they far more eager to make an agreement than the Chinese or Americans.
1 comment:
Agreed. If your soldiers are fleeing before any fight breaks out, and have more worms than intestine in their bellies, you know it's not a position of strength to negotiate from. Plus, everyone knows - and Trump did a great job in this - if you cross Trump or make him look bad (and double so if both) he will come after you twice/three times as hard. Plus, obviously, the talks have been had already. The summit is the ceremonial conclusion for photo op, ceremonial signing etc. He'd not meet Trump unless he fully agreed to terms already and that's why you see the succession of events building up to the event. If Kim crosses the US and Trump now, he will not get to see 2019. You can take that to the bank.
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