China could join moves to sanction North Korea

[Adsos Letter]

Source: AP

ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska – China may soon abandon its cautious neutrality and join the international condemnation of North Korea's role in sinking a South Korean warship, senior American officials said Wednesday.

Speaking after strategic talks this week in Beijing, the U.S. officials predicted that China will gradually endorse the view that North Korea should be held accountable for the March 26 torpedo attack.

On a visit to South Korea this weekend, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is likely to express regret for the deaths of 46 South Korean sailors in the incident and signal that China will accept the results of an international investigation blaming North Korea, the U.S. officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the discussions with China.

Wen is also expected to leave open the possibility of backing action against Pyongyang at the U.N. Security Council, although it's not clear how far Beijing is prepared to go in rebuking its historic ally.


Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100526/ap_on_re_as/as_clinton_south_korea

[rayofreason]

1. Good news if true...

...and perhaps the beginning of a move by China to replace the wackos in charge of the DPRK with folks who would be more amenable to implementing a "Chinese model" for governance and economy.

[Adsos Letter]

2. I wonder how li'l Kim will react if China comes out against him

backed into a corner of his own making.

[izquierdista]

3. Anyone remember the timeline here?

Didn't the Dear Leader go to China shortly before the Cheonan was sunk? Was he lining up support for his latest outburst, without telling the Chinese all the details, leaving them now with a lot of egg on their face? Has he painted his benefactor into a corner, thinking they can't toss him like yesterday's cold oatmeal? Sure would be interesting to be a fly on the wall at some of those discussions.

[Uncle Joe]

4. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Adsos Letter.

[jberryhill]

5. Everyone in China should wear one of these

[David__77]

6. I seriously doubt that.

"Senior officials" need to study Chinese politics better. They cannot go that far for several reasons, including their perceived need to maintain DPRK as a buffer, maintain it as a "socialist state" in order to support Communist Party rule domestically, and the fact that a powerful faction in the Communist Party of China does support Kim outright (most do oppose his politics certainly).

They will make noises and tread right up against the line of condemning DPRK, but won't do so. It would be contrary to their whole foreign policy, which doesn't really favor sanctions in any case.

[DeadEyeDyck]

7. China is sitting on a bomb bigger than a bomb

It is the dollar and thaet could drop it at a moments notice. We best listen to them