Posted on 06/29/2009 3:55:44 PM PDT by Jet Jaguar
North Korea’s most crucial ally is exploring shifts in its policy toward the authoritarian regime, experts on East Asian relations said last week.
China hasn’t taken any major actions against North Korea beyond signing the U.N. resolution condemning Pyongyang’s May 25 nuclear test and calling for unforced inspections of suspected weapons cargo.
But criticism in China’s government-authorized media of North Korea has grown to levels that were never tolerated until now, said Jonathan Pollack, professor of Asian-Pacific studies at the Naval War College in Newport, R.I. Pollack has written more than 25 books and research reports, including books on U.S.-Chinese relations and on North Korea. His current research centers on North Korean nuclearization.
"What I am seeing is an openness to explore issues. There is much more sanction in authorized media to talk about North Korea in a frank way," Pollack said. "This can be used as a basis for what we have to assume is an internal reassessment, in light of all that is happening now."
In 2003, a Chinese journal published a paper hostile to the Kim regime and was quickly shut down, Pollack said.
Now, a series of articles in World Knowledge, a Chinese Foreign Ministry-backed journal, openly explores what China gets in return for its diplomatic and economic support of Pyongyang.
Other media outlets are discussing the succession of Kim Jong-il, who is rumored to be ill.
"It’s unimaginable that the issue of succession would have been raised in authorized Chinese publications in the past," Pollack said.
"It really suggests to me that they are looking at North Korea differently. It’s definitely a change from the past, in my view."
North Korea’s first nuclear test in 2006 angered China, which feared the test would lead to further militarization of the Asia-Pacific region. But the criticism China allowed at the time was less strident and prevalent than it is now, Pollack said.
China has protected North Korea since hundreds of thousands of Chinese "volunteer" soldiers swarmed past the Yalu River in the early 1950s to force the eventual Korean War armistice. Several South Korean observers said China will continue to support North Korea because it fears a refugee crisis should the current regime destabilize.
China’s economic interests also play a role. China exported more than $2 billion in goods to North Korea last year and received $750 million in imports, according to the Seoul-based Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency.
Park Tae-woo, professor of international politics at Taiwan International University, believes the Chinese government is puzzled over its next step toward North Korea. "This is absolutely a turning point for China in finding better ways to handle and tame North Korea," Park said.
Park also said that until now, China has scolded North Korea just enough to protect China’s growing international profile, without destabilizing the Kim regime.
However, a nuclear North Korea gives ammunition to Japanese nationalists calling for a full-scale military to replace its self-defense forces.
It also supports arguments for increased U.S. involvement and training with other regional militaries, which could create a heavily unbalanced strategic alliance against China.
That’s why China will work to tame North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, while the bigger picture demands that Beijing back the Pyongyang regime, said Lee Han-hee, senior fellow for North Korea and East Asia Studies at the Samsung Economic Research Institute in Seoul.
A non-nuclear but still militarily powerful North Korea continues to bolster Chinese influence in the region, while providing a buffer against Western influence on their borders.
"China does not want to lose this great cushion at such a critical time, when it is being reborn as the next world leader," Lee said.
Ping
“China’s economic interests also play a role. China exported more than $2 billion in goods to North Korea last year and received $750 million in imports, according to the Seoul-based Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency.
Wow, what a profitable trade! A few more customers like that, and they’d really be making out.
Communist China is so in bed with NoKo that I would not believe any fluff piece about how “China may be changing”...
As long as we continue Free Trade with Communist China, we will always have problems with NoKo....as NoKo is directly supported by Communist China. Our US wealth ends up subsidizing the Communists in NoKo as well as Communist China.
Where is that NoKo ship that was heading for Burma and being tailed by the “McCain”?
"A non-nuclear but still militarily powerful North Korea continues to bolster Chinese influence in the region, while providing a buffer against Western influence on their borders.
'China does not want to lose this great cushion at such a critical time, when it is being reborn as the next world leader,' Lee said."
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=63503
Michael Jackson died.
[2009] Russia, China plan new joint military exercises
By MARTIN SIEFF, UPI Senior News Analyst
Published: March 26, 2009
WASHINGTON, March 26 (UPI) -- The continuing tensions over Russia's refusal to sell its state-of-the-art land warfare advanced weapons systems to China hasn't interrupted the rhythm of major joint military exercises between the two major land powers on the Eurasian landmass. The latest in the regular, biennial series of exercises between the two nations has been confirmed for this summer.
The next in the now well-established series of exercises called Peace Mission 2009 will be carried out in northeastern China, the Russian Defense Ministry announced March 18, according to a report carried by the RIA Novosti news agency.
The first bilateral Peace Mission maneuvers -- described at the time as counter-terrorism exercises -- were held in Russia and the eastern Chinese province of Shandong in August 2005. As we reported at that time, they were a lot bigger than mere counter-terrorism exercises. Warships, squadrons of combat aircraft and more than 10,000 troops were involved carrying out landings against hypothetically hostile shores. The maneuvers also involved large-scale paratroops drops. The scale and nature of those exercises suggested a trial run for a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan with Russian support. ..."
http://www.upi.com/Security_Industry/2009/03/26/Russia_China_plan_new_joint_military_exercises/UPI-25021238094858/
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Russia, China flex muscles in joint war games
August 17, 2007
CHEBARKUL, Russia (Reuters) - Russia and China staged their biggest joint exercises on Friday but denied this show of military prowess could lead to the formation of a counterweight to NATO.
"Today's exercises are another step towards strengthening the relations between our countries, a step towards strengthening international peace and security, and first and foremost, the security of our peoples," Putin said.
Fighter jets swooped overhead, commandos jumped from helicopters on to rooftops and the boom of artillery shells shook the firing range in Russia's Ural mountains as two of the largest armies in the world were put through their paces.
The exercises take place against a backdrop of mounting rivalry between the West, and Russia and China for influence over Central Asia, a strategic region that has huge oil, gas and mineral resources.
Russia's growing assertiveness is also causing jitters in the West. Putin announced at the firing range that Russia was resuming Soviet-era sorties by its strategic bomber aircraft near NATO airspace.
http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-29030120070817?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0
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War Games: Russia, China Grow Alliance
September 23, 2005
In foreign policy it’s critical to “know thine enemy.” So American policymakers should be aware that Russia and China are inching closer to identifying a common enemy — the United States.
The two would-be superpowers held unprecedented joint military exercises Aug. 18-25. Soothingly named “Peace Mission 2005,” the drills took place on the Shandong peninsula on the Yellow Sea, and included nearly 10,000 troops. Russian long-range bombers, the army, navy, air force, marine, airborne and logistics units from both countries were also involved.
Moscow and Beijing claim the maneuvers were aimed at combating terrorism, extremism and separatism (the last a veiled reference to Taiwan), but it’s clear they were an attempt to counter-balance American military might.
Joint war games are a logical outcome of the Sino-Russian Friendship and Cooperation Treaty signed in 2001, and reflect the shared worldview and growing economic ties between the two Eastern Hemisphere giants."
http://www.heritage.org/Press/Commentary/ed092605a.cfm
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From the Sino-Russian Joint Statement of April 23, 1997:
"The two sides [China and Russia] shall, in the spirit of partnership, strive to promote the multipolarization of the world and the establishment of a new international order."
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Central_Asia/HI29Ag01.html
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From National Public Radio (NPR):
August 29, 2006
"Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has been visiting countries such as China, Iran and Russia as part of an effort to build a 'strategic alliance' of interests not beholden to the United States. He considers the United States his arch enemy.":
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5729764
noko’s china’s porch poodle.
Yeah, what do they think, they have an endless stream of money that allows them to squander it without repercussions?
Silly Chinese.
They should know that only United States government officials can do that.
I was just thinking, you know, Beijing is only about 500 miles from the coast of North Korea, as the missile flies. I wonder what the Chinese would think if one of the long range missiles fired from North Korea’s northwest coast went *really* astray?
NorKor is the proxy for China's real foreign policy.
Common practice in international relations, but of course we can't expect a president with zero international experience to be adept at such things.
As some dope named Joe Biden once observed in a rare sober moment:"The presidency is no place to get on-the-job experience."
And our boy president, pre-occupied with his "re-making of America" according to his chip-on-the-shoulder idea of "social justice", with be happy to help them.
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