Make China Pay for Not Helping with North Korea

Human Events ^ | 07/08/06 | Human Events Editorial

[Cobra64]

Forget it. We don't even have the stones to do the right things here at home.

[garbageseeker]

I am hopeful that there are people who are willing to step up to the plate and lead this great country to greatness.

[ClaireSolt]

Most coverage is to US centered to suit me. We are trying to back out of that region and get them to solve their own problems. So the UN resolution is by Japan, not us. China has sent a delegation to NK and both SK and Japan are imposing their own sanctions. I heard Savage making fun of Bush, but he doesn't get it, if you ask me. Although a missle could reach the US, NK is not primarily an American problem.

[ClaireSolt]

According to the presiodent of Walmart, their stock is 85% mad in America. Anything else you want to know, do your own research.

[Cobra64]

I am hopeful that there are people who are willing to step up to the plate and lead this great country to greatness.

The only man who had the guts, is this man. And he's dead.

[MimirsWell]

Exactly what does being a free-market regime have to do with the Korean issue. Even if China was a democratic country that was supporting N. Korea, the measures to be taken don't change. The fact is N. Korea is a threat to regional stability and anyone blocking measures to contain and neutralize it is not acting in the region's and American's interests. So no matter who it is, they have to be made to understand the magnitude of the problem whether we do it through diplomatic pressure or economic boycott, that would depend on how forthcoming China is.

[Last Dakotan]

Even products not assembled in China have ample Made in China parts.

You must have actual manufacturing knowledge to make that statement.

Many other posters assume that because the numbers for American manufacturing as a whole are stable or up the sector is doing well.

Take as an example what I know first hand. I doubt you can find an American made casting on a Case or Deere loader or tractor. Yet every one off the line counts entirely as a US made product.

We have in one of out plants right now 6 Case wheel loader castings that we are gleefully overcharging to machine into another part number because they can't get new castings from China for another 6-8 months.

Idiots.

[Thunder90]

"China should be held responsible for North Korea's actions. After all, North Korea and China have a very cozy diplomatic relationship. China supplies North Korea with energy, food and quite possibly with munitions."

Don't forget our friends the Russians. They were the ones who sold N. Korea the technology for their Scud missiles. Also, Russia sells N. Korea the energy for the N.Korean military, as well as most of the tanks their army uses. Also, Russia and China are in the same regional bloc, the Shanghai Cooperative Organization.

[Thunder90]

Arm Japan and tell the Chicoms and the Neo-Soviets to go away.

[Thunder90]

The Russians flew the air cover for the Chinese in the Korean War.

[garbageseeker]

You are right. The MIGs were flown by Russian pilots

[garbageseeker]

You are right. Pressure must be put on the Russians too. They also have much contact with the North Koreans.

[Brytani]

Forget the UN, if we really want to punish China, take away their trading status, stop allowing Wal-Mart to purchase from them, and take away the Olympics.

I can dream, right?

[garbageseeker]

Sure. You are allowed to dream. I encourage dreaming and wishful thinking on my threads.

[Brytani]

In all seriousness though, if we implement tough sanctions against China via trade restrictions it will go a long way in forcing their hand. When it comes to NK or the UN, I'm not above blackmail.

Just some fat to chew on...

"In 2003 Wal-Mart imported $15 billion worth of goods from China, 11 percent of China's total exports to the United States."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/25/AR2005102501456.html

"For several years, Wal-Mart has been the single largest U.S. importer of Chinese consumer goods, surpassing the trade volume of entire countries, such as Germany and Russia. Global sourcing is now fully integrated into the company's operations -- giving Wal-Mart enormous leverage worldwide. Foreign products account for nearly all of Wal-Mart's trumpeted low opening price point goods.

During regularly scheduled conference calls with Wall Street analysts, Lee Scott, Wal-Mart CEO since 2000, touts global sourcing as the key to increasing company profits and continuing its expansion.

"No one can compete with China. Such efficiency, such manpower," said Frank Yuan, the former middleman who did business with Wal-Mart, and who now heads an international apparel trade show. "If you look at [Wal-Mart's] shoes or housewares, 80 or 90 percent is coming out of China. And apparel is not as big as it should be." After U.S. quotas on textile imports expire on Jan. 1, 2005, Yuan expects imports from China to rise to 80 percent of the apparel market."

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/walmart/secrets/wmchina.html

"The company says its inventory of products made in China was expected to hit $18 billion in 2004, the second consecutive year the inventory grew by more than 20 percent. More than 70 per cent of the products sold at Wal-Mart are made in China, according to the China Business Weekly.
More than 80 percent of the 6,000 factories in Wal-Mart's worldwide database of suppliers are in China. If Wal-Mart were a separate nation, it would rank as China’s fifth-largest export market, ahead of Germany and Britain."

http://www.aflcio.org/corporatewatch/walmart/walmart_5.cfm

I'm not trying to turn this into a Wal-Mart bashing thread but let's face facts, simply boycotting Wal-Mart's Chinese products would put a huge dent in China's economy.

[garbageseeker]

I would like to have trade sanctions against China for continuing to allow North Korea to misbehave but our economy and national security has become interwoven with theirs.30 years ago it would have been possible to slap trade sanctions against China, but now ,it would be so difficult because practically everything we use is "Made In China". What if in retaliation against economic sanctions, China decides to invade Taiwan. Then we are in a slippery slope to a nuclear war with China. I think what needs to be done is have Washington keep pressure on Beijing and Moscow to keep that nut case in line. I would the communicate with the leaders in Beijing and Moscow that the next time that Kim Jong Il pulls a stunt again, like the one he did a couple of days ago, the United States will destroy the NK missile on the pad or another NK military target using a cruise missile. Kim must learn not to trifle or throw hussy fits with the United States.

[garbageseeker]

You bet. If you get a ever get the chance to go to his ranch you will understand him and his beliefs. To me, it was a religious experience and solidified my belief as a Reagan conservative. Ronald Reagan would have taught North Korea the finer points of international diplomacy by dropping a couple of Tomahawks, beginning with the missile pad.

[Brytani]

Aside from trade sanctions, what do we really have that will pressure China or Russia? Trade sanctions will harm China, however I do not believe we import/export enough products into Russia to make a difference economically to them.

So what does that leave us with? Stop or I'll shout stop again?

Today, NK said they would consider an act of war against any country to approved sanctions against them. They went so far as to say they would use nuclear weapons against countries that vote for them. With wingnut in charge, I wouldn't put it past them. So we really have only a few options.

Either we launch from Japan ourselves and take out their missile capabilities, which is an act of war by all international laws, or we somehow force Russia and China to force NK to end their programs. This again leaves us with the question, what to force them with?

On the Taiwan issue, I can't see China invading Taiwan at this point. China is too busy trying to build their economy via the west. They are attempting to gain a better reputation through allowing more "human rights", opening up their country a bit more and trying to gain a good reputation in order to host the Olympic games. If they were to invade Taiwan, all of their positive moves would be for nothing.

The knee-jerk part of me says this is simple. Carpet bomb NK's missile factories, launch pads and their military sites. The realistic side of my knows if we were to do that it would mean war with China and Russia against us. I don't know, at this point in our history, if that's a war we could win.

Hopefully our government will make the right moves with NK.

[garbageseeker]

We really have nothing that can be used as bargaining chips against Russia and China. China and Russia are too busy in love with the American dollar and Russia still has the Chechnya problem. The Russians have all of their military resources dedicated in that country and grinding Grozny into dust. However, I have to agree with you a show of force against North Korea in the only viable option. The diplomatic route with either of these nations over North Korea is rapidly coming to an end.Right now, the world sees us as "weak" over the Iraq situation(even though in reality things are getting better every day). It would be a totally unexpected that we would take out with Tomahawks their missile facilities or other targets of value. It won't have to a massive attack maybe a couple of pickings and hope that it opens his eyes that he cannot win a fight against the United States. The attack can be like we did with Sudan in the late 1990s with cruise missile strikes.It could also be a plus against our other problem ,Iran. An attack of North Korean missile assets and manufacturing plants can slow down Iran's drive to perfect a long range missile. Iran has a deal with North Korea to build their missiles. A strike can slow Iran's missile program will then in turn slow down Iran's nuke program. It would also send a message that we are not fooling around with street thugs who are in charge of nations.

[kevin_in_so_cal]

Do you own an iPod?

No.

a Sandisk flash card or drive?

No.

an HP/Compaq, Toshiba computer? An Apple MacBook Pro? Do you have a pair of Nike or Adidas sneakers?

No, no, and no.

Have you ridden a Boeing plane?

Possibly, but not in the last 6 months.

It doesn't take much to boycott made in China.