Korean showdown exposes China-US gap — analysts
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WASHINGTON — The tense weekend showdown on the Korean peninsula exposes the deep US-China gap over how to resolve a long-simmering crisis that risks erupting anew, analysts said.
Nevertheless, several experts suspected China helped to defuse the immediate crisis by privately warning its neighbor and nuclear-armed ally North Korea to avoid acting on its threat to retaliate for South Korean military drills.
“The Chinese were very concerned about escalation, even to the point of a widescale war on the peninsula,” said Bonnie Glaser, a China analyst with the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
“The fact that they were so worried about a military conflict may have in fact energized them to do more than they have under other circumstances, and urge the North Koreans not to retaliate,” Glaser told AFP.
And the North Koreans may have decided to hold fire for now only to consider staging a show of military force in the future, she said..... MORE
Source: The Daily Tribune
URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20101224com3.html
1 comment
Before the village was shelled, it was reported that ROK was conducting live fire excercises near the border which provoked NoKor.
Who told ROK to do it when they could practice far south?
The Northern boys, they have had it, they opened fire and when they were done they went home, ate dinner, and said nothing. Meanwhile the South Koreans made a lot of noise. Like a coward would. There is good reason for them to swallow hard before screaming to CNN.
Seems to me the South Koreans warhawks like pain, the western media wants to paint them as the offended and the north as the agitators. I don't buy it.
A North Korean fast patrol boat was sunk by the South Korean Navy, several months later a South Korean firgate was sliced in half. What does that tell you?
In the overall strategic picture, whats in it for the super powers?
For the US, leverage against China and Russia with South Korea as a tool. As for China and Russia, nothing, they hate drama so does the North Koreans.
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