Is China Setting the Stage to Intervene in the N. Korea Situation?

a reply to: nwtrucker

Well there is a reason why MacArthur said don't trust the Chi Coms. While they want to solve the North Korean crisis, they are looking for ways to extract more opportunities.

originally posted by: starwarsisreal
a reply to: nwtrucker

Well there is a reason why MacArthur said don't trust the Chi Coms. While they want to solve the North Korean crisis, they are looking for ways to extract more opportunities.

I don't disagree. So is the U.S.....

Ah, this will be the supremely sane and rational MacArthur who had to be removed from duty when he took the Korean war into his own hands and demanded that China accept unconditional surrender!

MacArthur is another one who didn't understand what China was up to. Mao needed to consolidate his power amid competing rivals, and to strengthen China's ideological alliance with the USSR.

He figured that it was better to take on the US in a proxy war at an early stage in the developing US involvement in SE Asia, and in the most general sense he achieved both of his original aims without suffering any material loss. (Except for all those soldiers whose lives he pi55ed away for private political brownie-points, but ain't that always the way...)

Proof of the point being, after the Korea war ended, China went back to its own affairs and the Korean peninsula was left to its own devices.

China is more of a whale than a shark, as in it isn't a dangerous predator constantly out for blood - but on the other hand it can sink a ship with a flick of its tail if it gets annoyed.

originally posted by: nwtrucker
a reply to: loam


I still hold the view that it's in China's interests to handle NK themselves. At the least, they would then control the replacement regime which would be far better from their point of view than a reunified Korea under U.S. protection.

It makes the most sense for everyone if China deals with it with assistance from the US. But they've been dragging their feet for many many years. When was the last time China conducted a war? They are typically pretty insular as a nation. The prospect of actually dealing with NK may make them nervous - too many variables and too many NK citizens flooding China.

originally posted by: pirhanna

originally posted by: nwtrucker
a reply to: loam


I still hold the view that it's in China's interests to handle NK themselves. At the least, they would then control the replacement regime which would be far better from their point of view than a reunified Korea under U.S. protection.

It makes the most sense for everyone if China deals with it with assistance from the US. But they've been dragging their feet for many many years. When was the last time China conducted a war? They are typically pretty insular as a nation. The prospect of actually dealing with NK may make them nervous - too many variables and too many NK citizens flooding China.

The day will come when China has to intervene in situations like this. Even in places much further away. That's what super powers do, comes with the title. China is still on a learning curve.

originally posted by: LogicalGraphitti
The day will come when China has to intervene in situations like this. Even in places much further away. That's what super powers do, comes with the title. China is still on a learning curve.

Well, no, that's what America has done as a superpower. It's not necessarily what another type of superpower would do.

As for China's "learning curve", I can't help thinking that this is another demonstration that the US has never really understood the significance of the remark attributed to Zhou EnLai, when asked (in 1972) about the effectiveness of the French revolution: "It is too soon to say."

I highly doubt China will do much at all regarding cutting the Oil supply.

This could trigger an influx of refugees to Chinese cities on the border. China also fears that the North could come under the control of South Korea, a US ally, if the regime falls.

“There will be sanctions, but it will not be a full cut of oil supplies. China is not looking for the collapse of the regime. It just wants to push for peace talks, so cutting North Korea’s lifeline in oil does not fit China’s aim,” Wang said.

Source: South China Morning Post : Oil Supplies to NK could be cut

NK has the world so work't up
they would LET China Take the Land...

China took Tibet and no one said much.
like Us made a deal with them?

now China can save the day and get NK land!
YAY! go China save us all.

Us do need to Pay China back for all the money.

originally posted by: pirhanna

originally posted by: nwtrucker
a reply to: loam


I still hold the view that it's in China's interests to handle NK themselves. At the least, they would then control the replacement regime which would be far better from their point of view than a reunified Korea under U.S. protection.

It makes the most sense for everyone if China deals with it with assistance from the US. But they've been dragging their feet for many many years. When was the last time China conducted a war? They are typically pretty insular as a nation. The prospect of actually dealing with NK may make them nervous - too many variables and too many NK citizens flooding China.

I've had similar thoughts. Yet Now I suspect the NK refugees would head south, not into China but to their brother Koreans...