The BBC has released an article suggesting that the North Korea strategy being put forward by the Trump Administration is working. At least, so claims vice president Pence.
I’m unclear about this, in many aspects. But one thing I’m convinced of there is definitely multiple Dimensions to all of this that most people are not accounting for… Including the Trump Administration.
One major aspect most people are not accounting for is China.
Witness if you will, the Chinese Premier is setting himself up as dictator for life. We know that North Korea is basically a client state of China and China has been less than happy with North Korea lately, and particularly unhappy with the little gargoyle. North Korea believes that China has turned its back on the long-standing goal of world socialism, because of the 1978 reform in which China started accepting investment from the West. Still, 90% of North Korea’s trade is with China. China has been rather forgiving over the years of North Korea when they can’t pay their debts to the Chinese. That has started to show signs of change.
I have my doubts that the Chinese take the nuclear threat from North Korea very seriously, at least any more than the rest of the world does. What I do see however is if the North Korean government collapses which seems likely, the refugee problem along the 800 some-odd mile border between North Korea and China will suddenly become a refugee area… Of a scope that would even make the Syrians wince.
The relationship between North Korea and China lately has not exactly been warm. The decades-long treaty between the two is now being viewed by Beijing as being outdated and in the end, worse than useless.
Within the last year China has become increasingly critical of Kim Jeong Un, and the relationship between the two has been turning rather Frosty.
China, meanwhile is in the midst of a massive military buildup, obviously intending to project power throughout the Pacific basin. The Chinese leadership has indicated that they, or rather he, wants a world-class Navy by 2030, and they appear to be well on their way toward attaining that goal.
China’s relationship with North Korea has always been as some would say, a marriage of convenience. Obviously, they started to view it as an inconvenience, particularly given the world pressure to rein in its puppet.
I’ve even seen charges that North Korea has been hacking Chinese computers via malware and ransomware.. interestingly enough a trick the Chinese taught them.
Question: Is there a sense in the mind of the little gargoyle that China is not going to be his protector for much longer? Is there a sense in North Korea that China itself is becoming unstable?
Could his sudden willingness to negotiate in fact be recognition that he may end up disappearing at the hands of the newly anointed Chinese emperor for life?
It seems clear that without some serious changes in diplomacy and attitude on the part of North Korea they are about to lose their only friend in the world… China.
North Korea has been Sheltering from the world outside for Generations now.
With all of this going on it’s no great mystery that now suddenly the little gargoyle wants to talk to the United States. They clearly see that their shelter isn’t going to work for them anymore.
