Bitterness in Beijing over North Korea's betrayal may mean war

[Swede]

The extent of that alienation has been revealed in essays by China's leading strategic thinkers. The bitter sense of betrayal felt in China about its communist neighbour, on whose behalf 360,000 soldiers, mainly volunteers, died during the Korean war 53 years ago, sets the tone for the extraordinarily frank essays in China Security.

These essays, in a special publication by the Washington-based World Security Institute, discuss, often bleakly, the far-reaching implications of North Korea's nuclear program for China's foreign policy and the balance of power within China.




http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20943831-2703,00.html

[Toots]

1. If push comes to shove I believe China will side with North Korea

China can and will sell it's trinkets elsewhere if the US and China have a falling out over Korea. China is on much more solid ground than the US IMO. While china can find other markets America is dependent upon Chinese goods. Virtually everything Walmart sells comes from China.

[Warpy]

2. Only if Stupid attacks, and then they'll feel forced into it.

I've long thought that the whole situation with NK should be handled by China with some oversight by the UN. After all, they can see little benefit in having a rogue state with the bomb next door.

The Chinese take the long view, something that is incredibly maddening to corporate types who see only a fiscal quarter ahead, and corporate types are running this government. My guess is that they're planning a long term strategy to neutralize NK as a nuclear power and that it will work as long as Stupid doesn't fuck it up.

[alfredo]

3. the US is a big trading partner, and there is a big chance they

can seize much of our assets when we go bankrupt. They don't want to turn against us.

[Vogon_Glory]

4. China Within Range of NK Nukes

Has anyone else noticed that not only are South Korea and Japan within range of North Korean nuclear missiles, but so are many potential Chinese cities? I'd bet that the Chinese are wondering if their alliance with North Korea is worth the hassles. The Chinese might well choose to cut a deal with the South Koreans or have an understanding that a post-Pyongyang Korean peninsula dominated by the South would end its alliance with the US and have no US bases there.