The Chinese governments seems to think that the proper response
to North Korea’s attack on
Yeonpyeong is to restart the six-party talks and attempt to
appease Pyongyang; to its credit, the
Obama administration disagrees. Canadian commentator Matt
Gurney
fumes:
Such nonsense has long been the Chinese response to any act, no
matter how reckless, from its small, unpredictable ally. The
Chinese clearly see some advantage to keeping such a bellicose
regime around. The North Koreans give China a useful proxy, that
can stir up trouble and drive international agendas whenever the
Chinese desire it, while tying down considerable Western military
assets. All Beijing must do is mouth the odd platitude about
international co-operation and peace, while using its diplomatic
power (including a UN Security Council veto) to insulate the North
from any real consequences. North Korea’s missile tests, its
illicit nuclear arms development, and now, its increasingly violent
behaviour towards the South - all have been enabled, if not
outright supported, by China.
Enough is enough. China will soon be a global power to rival the
United States. With that might must come the maturity to act
responsibly. South Korea has been pushed to the limit - over the
last eight months, it has seen a warship blown out of the water in
the dead of night and now, its civilians have been shelled in their
own homes. If the South is pushed further, it will strike back. The
danger inherent to that situation cannot be overstated. The time
has come for China to either reign in its recklessly ally or cut
them loose.
Until they take this necessary step to further international
peace and security, the world should deny Beijing the recognition
as a leading power that it so desperately craves. Propping up North
Korea’s insane belligerence and being a senior partner in the
geopolitical game are incompatible goals. If Beijing won’t make
this decision for itself, it should be subject to the same shunning
as the regime whose violence it enables.
Former State Department senior adviser Christian Whiton
suggests, among other things:
President Obama should ask South Korea to place its forces on
alert and order the U.S. military to present him with options for a
sustained force buildup and possible retaliatory options that will
show the generals in North Korea they are worse off for haven
followed Kim Jong Il’s orders…
We should also talk openly to South Korea and Japan about moving
U.S. tactical nuclear weapons to the region. This is an appropriate
response to a growing North Korean nuclear threat. It will also
show the Chinese government that the misconduct of its client state
also harms Beijing’s security. That, more than blind hope, will get
Beijing’s attention.
While the White House hasn’t gone as far to start talking about
nukes in the Pacific, the USS George Washington is
headed to the Yellow Sea for joint excercises with South Korean
forces. This is a show of strength that will send a message not
only to North Korea but to China, which has objected to Yellow Sea
joint excercises in the past.
