A Chinese state-run newspaper said Saturday that China would not engage militarily if the US conducted a surgical strike on North Korea’s nuclear facility, noting it would only resort to diplomatic channels to oppose such a move.
Beijing’s position was stated in an editorial in the state-run Global Times, a tabloid controlled by China’s Communist Party.
“If Pyongyang’s unwavering pursuit of its nuclear program continues and Washington launches a military attack on North Korea’s nuclear facilities as a result, Beijing should oppose the move by diplomatic channels, rather than get involved through military action,” Joongang Daily translated the editorial as saying.
Beware NK China will not fight for you. Think twice before making a false move.
John Hickman When it is accurate and truthful, which this one is.
Murray Juchau
North Korea is not going to stop its nuclear program, period. And for good reason.
As far as North Korea is concerned, it’s the existence of North Korea’s nuclear program which is the sole, single reason why the U.S. government has not already invaded and tried to destoy the North Korean regime. As far as North Korea is concerned, they need those nukes to safeguard the continued existence of their country. Period.
The Chinese have certain ‘red lines’ that they will not permit the U.S. to cross. They will defend North Korea from being conquered.But I don’t believe they have supplied North Korea with nuclear material or skils. They know the North Korean regime is crazy. They’re not excited about putting a nuclear popgun in the hands of a crazy person.
The problem is that Trump is not a whole lot less crazy – because he is stupid enough to think hs alleged ‘business skills’ are suitable for international diplomacy. They aren’t.
Here’s what I think happened: Trump, wanting to be seen as the ‘tough leader’ he thinks he already is, made a public threat about a U.S.c arrier armada sailing toward North Korea, because he thought it would frighten North Korea into backing down.
Maybe it did – the North Koreans did not test a nuclear device over that weekend.
Maybe it didn’t – the North Koreans DID test a missile, but it broke apart and blew up shortly after launch.
Maybe Trump knew that the USS Carl Vinson wasn’t even sailing toward North Korea – and used it as a bluff to threaten the North Koreans. Maybe HE knew the real direction of the ships, but the North Koreans, with their much more primitive and limited satellite surveilance systems, did not know.
Or maybe Trump was so imcompetent, that he didn’t even know that the USS Carl Vinson was sailing in the opposite direction from North Korea at all~!!
Did China know the truth? Probably, they have a much more advanced satellite intelligence system than North Korea. It’s fair to say they were likely paying attention to the ship’s location and direction.
Then again, the thing about ships is, they can reverse course and change direction pretty abruptly. If the USS Carl Vinson was not headed towards North Korea "at that exact time" that Trump made his threat, it certainly could have been rerouted pretty easily and quickly.
Would the Chinese have told the North Koreans about the ship’s real direction? Maybe. Maybe not. They aren’t happy with North Korea’s nuclear program because the Chinese value stability above all else, and putting nukes in the hands of a madman is the ultimate security nightmare.
Ideally the Chinese would like to control any nukes on the Korean peninsula – because, that way, they can make sure that they won’t be fired.
If China has the nukes, they can control them. If North Korea has the nukes, the Chinese can’t control them – and even China has less leverage over North Korea than people think. Their options are more limited than people realize.
If the Chinese do nothing, the Kims continue dreaming of having a nuclear deterrent ansd something to threaten South Korea with. But if the Chinese pressure North Korea too forcefully, the regime could collapse and implode – and China doesn’t want millions of North Korean refugees flooding its border.
The really, really dangerous and terrifying part here, was Trump threatening North Korea with an attack by the USS Carl Vinson. It was a huge and terrifying mistake.
When you’re dealing with a regime that is already as paranoid and bat-poop crazy as North Korea, threatening them with attack is a really, really stupid idea – because, the only thing it serves to do is to further justify and reinforce their already-existing paranoia~!!!!
When you have an American president openly talking about sending a carrier battle group, openly threatening and hinting at America making an attack with aircraft, that’s NOT paranoia!!!! THAT’S REALITY~!!
It’s NOT paranoia when there REALLY ARE people talking about bombing you~!!!
EVEN PARANOID people have enemies~!!
Could North Korea’s government, based on the threat of a naval strike on its nuclear program by America, been ramping up and preparing for a strike on South Korea followed by all-out war?
Could they have been talked out of it at the last minute by the Chinese, who assured the North Koreans that the US naval armada was not headed toward North Korea at all?
Did we just barely avoid another all-out conflict on the Korean Peninsula, thanks not to America, but to China?
Have you ever been hit, really hard, on the back of the head with a baseball bat? It tends to take the fight out of you…just saying…don’t big up the annoying little Yappy Dog too much!!
Any strike on North Korea would result in,war and maybe a strike on S korea japan Hawai and US bases in range of NK weapons.
When is a sweeping generalization like that ever anything but a useful contribution to a discussion?
Yvette Kat Yvette, did you forget to take your medications this morning?
American always thinks they are smart actually they are not,they are stupid.
There isn’t going to be a "surgical" or any other kind of strike on NK. If the Chinese really thought there was going to be one of those, they wouldn’t say a word in public. This is all just subterfuge, meant to distract. From what? I don’t know.
Phil Karasick Thinking about this Phil.China has always had North korea’s back.If Kim just stopped the nuke program then the US would have no reason to attack.China would still provide security against attack like it always has.
If the Chinese have indeed supplied Kim with the skills to make these weapons.I cannot see how the Chinese would benefit from this transaction.
The Chinese have a vested interest in keeping its buffer state calm and stable.As is the situation in Tibet for the same reasons.
A nuclear North Korea goes against everything the Chinese are trying to achieve.
I have zero belief that China has lost control….My only sane answer is that the Chinese are setting a trap.Or they are all in on it together and the stage has been prepared by all parties decades ago..
Can I cast your mind back a few weeks ago when the media was saying the Vinson was en route to North Korea…The North Koreans were behaving as if they really were…but it turns out that it was a lie.And they were really doing drills with the Australian Navy.Are the North Korean military that stupid to not know where the Vinson was ?? Or as I said.
Is this all a pre prepared event??