Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Bulsajo]

But they're on their way to getting that already... how would this change that (how would it speed it up in their favour)?

Why give away this ace in their hand for something they're already on the path to getting?

Does Beijing (or Tokyo for that matter) really weant a peaceful and unified Korea that could become a stiff regional competitor?

I think Koreans have always had a good point about this, even though the point is often taken to a paranoid extreme... and it's not the Americans that want a divided Korea, it's all the regional players....

[On the other hand]

[Nowhere Man]

Has anyone ever invaded a nuke-possessing nation? (I know about Pakistan, but that wasn't an invasion)

That's a real wild card factor.

Perhaps the editorial is a mind**** to breed NK mistrust of China.

[cbclark4]

Here's what you do if you are China. You negotiate with the US you say take your troops out of South. Our troops will enmass on the Northern border of N. Korea, we enter from the north. If opposed, the ROK enters from the south claiming to assist the PyongYang. The penninsula will unify and we recognize the regime in Seoul as the rightful Gov. of the entire penninsula.

cbc

[On the other hand]

[Bulsajo]

[matthews_world]

[EFLtrainer]

Aigoo...

China does not need an army to topple KJI. That can be done politically quite easily, I suspect. However, China does covet NKs ocean access and its natural resources. Firmly controlling NK achieves a number of goals:

- access to and/or control of NK ports and resources

- weakening SK by depriving it of those same resources

- eliminates any excuse for US troops in SK (which would be just fine wit the US.)

[cbclark4]

Seriously what do the US troops do there, that can't be done from Alaska, Guam, or Okinawa?

By whatever means China wishes to end the PyongYang regime is ok with me. Removing the troops is fine too. In the end unity and nuclear free should be the objective.

They could throw Taiwan into the deal as well.

cbc

[thepeel]

It isn't about resources, mostly, for the Chinese. China sees herself as the natural leader of Asia, and wants the USA to recognize her sphere of influence in the region. China does not have world-wide hegemonic ambitions, but most certainly sees herself as a regional hegemon.

While I don't trust the Chosun, or any Korean (newspaper) at all, this isn't all that far fetched. A prudent America would grant to China what is hers, and expect of China to leave to America much of the rest. The US soldiers are symbolic, for the Chinese, of the real fact that the Chinese have not reclaimed their position.

NK will fall, and China will determine who governs the state thereafter. South Korea will increasingly find herself nestled uncomfortably between Japan (who is solidly, yet metaphorically in the Western hemisphere) and China. Also, the Korean birthrate (or lack there of) signals that she will be increasingly weak in the future (as will Japan, who will rely on the West).

It isn't actually that complicated of a situation, or really very dangerous. The Chinese haven't signaled that they want to change the 'rules of the game' but rather that they are quite willing to 'play ball' (sorry for the baseball metaphors, but most my IR profs are American). To properly assimilate China into the world economic and political system, the Americans will cede to her the Koras. The wild card of all this is Uncle Kim up north, and how willing he is to go down without a fight.

[On the other hand]

[On the other hand]

[thepeel]

[On the other hand]

[Green Tea]

No freakin way they will ever pull out. Each conflict zone means billions of dollars to arms contractors. Make it unprofitable fr those horrible people and maybe the americans will leave.