China goes parental on Kim-let

[Black]

China to lil' Kim:
Don't make me come down there.

[freeradical]

We've recently had F-22's participate in exercises in South Korea. This was clearly meant as a message to North Korea.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013...outh-korea

We've also had B-2 bombers run missions in South Korea. Was this meant as a message to North Korea or China? I think it's entirely plausible that this was meant for China. The B-2 bomber is of course a strategic weapon that would never be used in a conventional war in Korea. I understand that one of ours and South Koreas's concerns, is that China might try to annex North Korea, and we might simply be saying "Don't do it"...

[Black]

freeradical wrote:
I understand that one of ours and South Koreas's concerns, is that China might try to annex North Korea, and we might simply be saying "Don't do it"...

What do we have to lose by China annexing North Korea?

[max]

freeradical wrote:
We've recently had F-22's participate in exercises in South Korea. This was clearly meant as a message to North Korea.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013...outh-korea

We've also had B-2 bombers run missions in South Korea. Was this meant as a message to North Korea or China? I think it's entirely plausible that this was meant for China. The B-2 bomber is of course a strategic weapon that would never be used in a conventional war in Korea. I understand that one of ours and South Koreas's concerns, is that China might try to annex North Korea, and we might simply be saying "Don't do it"...

The message was for South Korea and Japan "we still got your back"....

[gabester]

Black wrote:
[quote=freeradical]
I understand that one of ours and South Koreas's concerns, is that China might try to annex North Korea, and we might simply be saying "Don't do it"...

What do we have to lose by China annexing North Korea?
We lose any chance of the eventual reunification of Korea, which China perceives as a significant threat.

I read some analysis many years ago that suggested such a move would create the world's 4th largest standing army backed by nuclear armaments, an economic superpower to rival Japan and China (albeit not as quite as large.) And whereas China has tremendous, nigh-impassable mountain ranges between it and its other nearby nuclear neighbors India and Pakistan, Korea is right on its doorstep and across a modest sea from its capitol.

I hold the view that it's in China's interest to:

1) Allow North Korea to initiate non-nuclear hostilities.
2) Observe US / S Korean / Japanese response w.r.t. deployment of modern technology.
3) Develop countermeasures to Allies technology.
4) Annex N. Korea and Taiwan. Possibly invade S. Korea and attack Japan to take out infrastructure.

If there were a way China could do this incurring a nuclear war with the US they would do so immediately. They have nothing to lose but some modest munitions and soldiers that can be readily replaced and much to gain in terms of supplying the additional markets previously serviced by the territory they would capture.

[max]

They do have a little spat over a piece of a volcano, but China annexing North Korea is an utter nonsense.

I am not denying Chinese imperialist territorial ambitions, but there is a certain protocol followed by Chinese, when it comes to grabbing territory, something totally absent in the case of the entire North Korea.
For example, first they lay a claim to a territory, very often basing it on some tenuous prior occupation by the Chinese state within last four thousand years. Or being part of it.
Unlike many other territories there is no such claim, just the opposite, there are very distinct Chinese declarations as to the inviolate territorial integrity of North Korea ....

[Mac1337]

China props up N. Korea because it is in their interests to have the Korean peninsula in disarray. It allows China to dominate the region.

[Mac1337]

Imagine how powerful a united Korea would be.

[cbelt3]

freeradical wrote:
We've also had B-2 bombers run missions in South Korea. Was this meant as a message to North Korea or China? I think it's entirely plausible that this was meant for China. The B-2 bomber is of course a strategic weapon that would never be used in a conventional war in Korea. I understand that one of ours and South Koreas's concerns, is that China might try to annex North Korea, and we might simply be saying "Don't do it"...

A few points:

B-2's are also useful for delivering certain bunker buster non nuclear weapons in a high density anti-aircraft environment. We used 'em in Desert Storm, as you may recall.

The US warning China ? China has a VERY modern AA system. The best that money can steal and copy. The only thing we'd lob at China would be ICBM's. They know it. B-2's flying over South Korea was strictly a middle finger at lil' Kim.

China annex North Korea ? Whatever for ? Any natural resources they want from NK they can trade for a pittance in food and fuel.

[Black]

gabester wrote:
[quote=Black]
[quote=freeradical]
I understand that one of ours and South Koreas's concerns, is that China might try to annex North Korea, and we might simply be saying "Don't do it"...

What do we have to lose by China annexing North Korea?
We lose any chance of the eventual reunification of Korea, which China perceives as a significant threat.

I read some analysis many years ago that suggested such a move would create the world's 4th largest standing army backed by nuclear armaments, an economic superpower to rival Japan and China (albeit not as quite as large.) And whereas China has tremendous, nigh-impassable mountain ranges between it and its other nearby nuclear neighbors India and Pakistan, Korea is right on its doorstep and across a modest sea from its capitol.

I hold the view that it's in China's interest to:

1) Allow North Korea to initiate non-nuclear hostilities.
2) Observe US / S Korean / Japanese response w.r.t. deployment of modern technology.
3) Develop countermeasures to Allies technology.
4) Annex N. Korea and Taiwan. Possibly invade S. Korea and attack Japan to take out infrastructure.

If there were a way China could do this incurring a nuclear war with the US they would do so immediately. They have nothing to lose but some modest munitions and soldiers that can be readily replaced and much to gain in terms of supplying the additional markets previously serviced by the territory they would capture.
Thanks, gabester.