Bobrayner From United Kingdom, joined Apr 2003, 2227 posts, RR: 7 Reply 2, posted (9 years 9 months 3 weeks 3 days 9 hours ago) and read 789 times:
The last thing China wants is a nuclear armed NK. Which will lead to a nuclear armed Japan and possibly nukes in SK and Taiwan in due course.
Can you explain how?
Most neighbouring countries are strongly opposed to nuclear weapons, and they're intelligent enough to avoid being baited into a nuclear arms race.
This is a major vindication of President Bush's policy on North Korea. I am glad to see that China has actively engaged the issue.
Agreed, this is very positive.
I wouldn't go so far as to credit Bush though
L-188 From United States of America, joined Jul 1999, 29350 posts, RR: 62 Reply 3, posted (9 years 9 months 3 weeks 3 days 9 hours ago) and read 786 times:
And within 24 hours the DPRK has threatened to break off those talks if the US brings the Nuclear issue before the UN security council.
OBAMA-WORST PRESIDENT EVER....Even SKOORB would be better.
N79969 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 4, posted (9 years 9 months 3 weeks 3 days 6 hours ago) and read 780 times:
Bob,
If the North Korea openly deploys nuclear weapons, the longstanding opposition in Japan, ROK, and elsewhere is almost certainly out the window. The only reason that Japan does not have nuclear weapons already is because of the US nuclear umbrella that exists. The US nuclear umbrella has allowed Japan, ROK, and Taiwan to get by without. If either ROK or Japan decided unilaterally to go nuclear, the other would immediately also go nuclear because of historical animus between the two countries.
If volatile North Korea gets them, then Japan will have no strategic alternative other than to go nuclear. South Korea will feel the same. Taiwan will not be left out either. Taiwan would almost certainly become subject to mainland blackmail. This is not about intelligent choice but strategic deterrent. By going nuclear, the North Koreans would destroy the equilibrium that has prevailed during the last 50 years.
Japan's nuclear power facilities can be pretty easily modified to produce weapons grade material. This was by design. (I forgot where I read this). Because of NK's behavior, some Japanese have begun to reconsider the nuclear issue. I don't know about Taiwan or ROK.
The Bush Administration deserves a lot of credit here. When North Korea was insisting on bilateral talks or nothing, Bush wisely did not given into their shrill demands. He has stuck by the sensible position that any talks must be multilateral and involve all countries affected in that region.
China deserves credit for actually yanking NK's chain. Like Yyz717 said, they realized the massive peril that NK could create for them by starting an arms race that would leave virtually surrounded by nuclear armed countries.
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