Posted on 12/21/2004 5:18:40 PM PST by bruinbirdman
December 18:
The dictatorial regime in North Korea may be internally imploding, writes Jason Lim in The Washington Times. He warns that China may take the initiative to trigger an internal coup that would overthrow Kim Jong Il and maneuver the installation of a Beijing-friendly military dictatorship. This would help China establish hegemony over north Asia.
Lim observes that China’s ambition to dominate Asia is evident in official projects to purposely misinterpret histories around its borders in order to justify any possible Chinese territorial takeover. One such case is the Northeast Asia Project backed by the state-run China Academy of Social Sciences. With funding in the billions of dollars spanning over 5 years, this faux academic project claims that the most important kingdoms of ancient Korean history were actually Chinese.
Chinese control of North Korea's minerals, coal and labor would fuel China's ever-growing economy. North Korea’s ports would serve as bases for military activity. Also, China is concerned that massive numbers of North Korean refugees streaming across the Yalu River would create difficult socioeconomic disruptions. Most significantly, if the two Koreas were to be unified under South Korea's leadership, then a unified Korea that shares America's democratic values would exert a strong socio-cultural influence in large parts of Manchuria, which is home to two million ethnic Koreans, causing a threat to Chinese political control.
December 19:
China’s proposed anti-secession law has increased concern in Taiwan of a potential military strike by Beijing, reports The Los Angeles Times. Many observers thought relations would be on the mend following the recent victory in Taiwanese legislative elections by the opposition, which has been more conciliatory in reaching out to the Mainland. Instead, Beijing has opted to step up political pressure.
"This is an indication China is still very much adamant in trying to stop the independence movement in Taiwan," said Andrew Yang, secretary-general of the Taiwan-based Chinese Council of Advanced Policy Studies. "By giving it a legal framework, they have enhanced their approach to justify a more coercive means to unify Taiwan."
The defeat of President Chen Shui-bian’s Democratic People’s Party in the legislative elections this month sabotaged his ability to push for a more aggressive independence policy. Relations would be further complicated if China succeeds in persuading the European Union to lift its long-standing ban on weapons sales. Experts say China would use any opportunity to upgrade its military capabilities to enhance its position against Taiwan.
December 20:
Hu Jintao, flush with promises by the European Union that it would begin selling new weapons to China by mid 2005, has escalated a crackdown on pro-democracy dissent that includes greater censorship of the press, reports The Washington Post. The arrest of three leading intellectuals, Yu Jie, Zhang Zhua and Liu Xiaobo, who have stated that government conduct should be held to a higher standard, is part of the attempt to impose stricter discipline within the Communist Party.
[China Reform Monitor No. 572, December 21, 2004 is not yet available online.]
They've got something like 60 million missing women due to their one-child law. They're going to need a flag with a hammer, a syckle, and a pink flamingo on it.
ping
Being under the Red Chinese would probably be a step up for the North Koreans. I'm sure the UN will save them from The Chinese just like they saved the Tibetans.
I take it that means they have a lot of horny extra single men in the military that are expendable.
I remember when an American diplomat complained about Chinese political prisoners. The Chicom general answered, "We can easily fix that. How many million do you want?"
yitbos
The British Empire was the largest most wide-spread empire in history. America has shown itself to be the rightful heir to this empire. Therefore, we also have claim to all former British colonies. :)
Now all we need is true courage. Including the courage (and the true preparation) to face any and all other nation states with the intention of winning.
You want Canada?
How is North Korean not already a Bejing-friendly dictatorship? Next will be a breathless discovery that there are COMMUNISTS IN NORTH KOREA!
Well, the next regime may veer out of Chinese orbit. The current one is a kind of pro-Chinese, in the sense that it cannot survive without Chinese aids.
"December 20:
Hu Jintao, flush with promises by the European Union that it would begin selling new weapons to China by mid 2005, has escalated a crackdown on pro-democracy dissent that includes greater censorship of the press, reports The Washington Post“
This is, IMHO, the most significant statement in this post.
Way to go France!
You really thought the Chinese communists had changed since 1989?
Yes, the EU's insistence on selling arms to China is a very nasty sign.
I used to think that reunification was certain. I still feel this is North Korea's last winter. But now I think it more likely that China will simply take over - i.e., send several hundred thousand "relief workers" to avert famine at the request of either a fake Kim Il Jong or some purported replacement for him, etc., and install a more competent & expensive (for China) replacement regime.
IMO the Chinese leadership do not want American intelligence and counter-proliferation teams picking through North Korean records and WMD facilities as that would reveal too much of China's covert WMD (nuclear in particular) proliferation program using North Korea as a cutout. IMO this is very, very, important for the Chinese leadership. While there are other reasons, such as the usual desire to avoid giving their own people ideas when a Communist tyranny next door is replaced by a democracy, there is just too much risk that Chinese and Chinese-led Nork cleanup teams will leave too much for American intelligence to discover.
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