China Sends Envoy to North Korea to Possibly Stop Rocket Test
It looks like the Chinese are attempting to stop the expected North Korean rocket launch by sending an envoy to North Korea which was likely prompted by reports that the ROK was considering deploying the THAAD missile defense system to Korea:
China’s top nuclear envoy made a surprise visit to North Korea on Tuesday, a news report said, amid rising tensions over the North’s fourth nuclear test last month.
Wu Dawei, China’s top delegate to the long-stalled six-party talks on North Korea’s nuclear program, flew into Pyongyang in the afternoon, Japan’s Kyodo News agency reported.
China is currently under international pressure to exert its leverage on North Korea to make sure Pyongyang ends its nuclear program.
Wu is expected to meet with North Korean officials over the Jan. 6 nuclear test, which Pyongyang claims was a successful detonation of a hydrogen bomb.
The test has raised security tensions in the region to a new high, with the U.N. Security Council pushing to adopt another sanctions resolution against Pyongyang.
South Korea appears to be inching closer to introducing an advanced U.S. missile defense system to counter the threats posed by North Korea’s missile and nuclear programs. [Yonhap]
You can read more at the link.
China has created this situation by propping up the NK regime all these years. This problem isn’t going to go away as long as they continue to do so. They can keep sending their “top” envoys to NK to smooth over the situation, but that’s just the standard NK-wants-something dance that has been going on all these years. In the meantime, NK continues to develop and/or obtain weapons technology and threatening other countries with it. China might think they have a handle on the situation, but it’s obvious that they don’t.
So, what is the South actually going to do? Put the North on Double Secret Probation? 👿
https://www.yahoo.com/news/south-korea-warns-north-korea-not-launch-satellite-085222677.html
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea warned on Wednesday of “searing” consequences if North Korea doesn’t abandon plans to launch a long-range rocket that critics call a banned test of ballistic missile technology.
The South’s rhetoric about unspecified harsh consequences comes less than a month after North Korea’s defiant fourth nuclear test and as diplomats at the U.N. work on strong new sanctions against the North.
As much as I’d LOVE to see the South smack the dog snot out of the North, neither side will do much more than threaten, posture, and occasionally slap at one another. Seeing the discussion on Proportionality and Overkill in the main thread, I think South Korea has the same lawyers on staff.
North Korea sank the Cheonan, the South should have bombed the sub base the North launched from. But nope, everyone Richarded the Canine, the Cheonan moved out of the 24 hour news cycle and the world’s gnat like attention span moved on to the next squirrel.
@MTB Rider, I don’t see the ROK doing anything of any significance either. The typical condemnations will be issued, sanctions will be pursued which the Chinese will proceed to prevent or circumvent and everyone will go about their business. Rinse and repeat after the next provocation.