North Korea - how serious should we take them?
Discussion
davepoth said:
Technically speaking no cease fire was signed at the end of the Korean war, so the two have been at war since the '50s.
I realise it was an "armistice rather than a peace treaty" and whilst the bullets, missiles and nukes may not yet be flying it is heading in that direction at the moment.jmorgan said:
Wonder how much input Iran are having here, wonder if China will have any influence.
.I don't think China cares one way or the other, until it directly affects China.
China will only support NK to keep their population fed and watered, no more.
China has no wish to encounter any conflict wit America or NK.
China is not "China of old", they are a very different "China" to what a lot of westerner's have engraved in their minds.
China is as far from communism as you could possibly imagine.
It's all about money, every one is on the up and up, to make money.
China doesn't need any war right on her doorstep.
Beijing has had just about all she can take from NK, there is NOTHING in common between China and NK.
However, if NK do start to get in a position where Beijing feels a surgical strike is required, then there would be doen, by the Chinese, who are more than capable.
Many have commented on other forums that China lacks submarines, and "decent" aircraft carriers.
But really, one should view where the conflict arena is, and if there is any need for sub's.
China has huge, and I mean astonomically huge missile quota, of both conventionaland nuclear.
Not to mention her airforce, which is less than 30 minutes flight from China mainland.
If it does start, then Beijing would nip it in the bud, before the Americans got there and started causing more havoc than needed, like they always tend do.
China doesn't want NK shooting off any missiles that may by accident fly over Chinese airspace, so I feel that as soon as any NK missiles are launched, and start to cross teh Yellow Sea, the Chinese will do their best to shoot them down.
Shooting down missiles ...... That's a big risk especially with Nuclear what if they do not shoot it down tens of thousands if people will die instantly and then for generations to come huge cancer issues for those outside the blast zone.
If it were me in charge of the USA I'd now be making use of the B52's on all the known nuclear plants and military bases to destroy as much as possible of their military hard ware.
The worry is clearly IF they have nuclear weapons at unknown sites - clearly if the destruction had been carried out the certainly NK would launch any nuclear weapons they have.
Hit first hit hard no mercy sir.
If it were me in charge of the USA I'd now be making use of the B52's on all the known nuclear plants and military bases to destroy as much as possible of their military hard ware.
The worry is clearly IF they have nuclear weapons at unknown sites - clearly if the destruction had been carried out the certainly NK would launch any nuclear weapons they have.
Hit first hit hard no mercy sir.
China do not want any American encroachment into their part of the world, nor does America want China annexing NK. The US would feel the same if China had a scrap with Canada. The two will have to talk and work together on this one. To do otherwise will be a surefire escalation to SERIOUS problems.
I wouldn't be surprised if China & the US were in open dialogue throwing around scenarios and likely outcomes to see how they could sort this out.
My thought's are it would be far more beneficial in the long term for someone, the US probably so to absolve China of blame, to remove the current NK regime. Then I think China would prefer to have a unified Korea for a number of reasons. Firstly, it puts the responsibility, cost and other factors on SK. They could provide benevolent support, which would make them look good and allow them to get a stronger hold on the whole peninsula from the inside and they will have a far more willing trading partner on their doorstep with plebty of tech to be snaffled.
I believe that once the NK population get to see the outside world with their own eyes, all that brain washing will count for little in a relatively short space of time.
What will Russia do? They will make lots of noise but if China are happy, they won't do much.
Look at China's strategy in Africa and the Middle East. It's all about investment, infrastructure building and a softly, softly long term approach.
My thought's are it would be far more beneficial in the long term for someone, the US probably so to absolve China of blame, to remove the current NK regime. Then I think China would prefer to have a unified Korea for a number of reasons. Firstly, it puts the responsibility, cost and other factors on SK. They could provide benevolent support, which would make them look good and allow them to get a stronger hold on the whole peninsula from the inside and they will have a far more willing trading partner on their doorstep with plebty of tech to be snaffled.
I believe that once the NK population get to see the outside world with their own eyes, all that brain washing will count for little in a relatively short space of time.
What will Russia do? They will make lots of noise but if China are happy, they won't do much.
Look at China's strategy in Africa and the Middle East. It's all about investment, infrastructure building and a softly, softly long term approach.
Edited by Asterix on Saturday 30th March 08:46
Asterix said:
I wouldn't be surprised if China & the US were in open dialogue throwing around scenarios and likely outcomes to see how they could sort this out.
My thought's are it would be far more beneficial in the long term for someone, the US probably so to absolve China of blame, to remove the current NK regime. Then I think China would prefer to have a unified Korea for a number of reasons. Firstly, it puts the responsibility, cost and other factors on SK. They could provide benevolent support, which would make them look good and allow them to get a stronger hold on the whole peninsula from the inside and they will have a far more willing trading partner on their doorstep with plebty of tech to be snaffled.
I believe that once the NK population get to see the outside world with their own eyes, all that brain washing will count for little in a relatively short space of time.
What will Russia do? They will make lots of noise but if China are happy, they won't do much.
That's a great and sensible scenario, but does anyone that matters really think it could happen?My thought's are it would be far more beneficial in the long term for someone, the US probably so to absolve China of blame, to remove the current NK regime. Then I think China would prefer to have a unified Korea for a number of reasons. Firstly, it puts the responsibility, cost and other factors on SK. They could provide benevolent support, which would make them look good and allow them to get a stronger hold on the whole peninsula from the inside and they will have a far more willing trading partner on their doorstep with plebty of tech to be snaffled.
I believe that once the NK population get to see the outside world with their own eyes, all that brain washing will count for little in a relatively short space of time.
What will Russia do? They will make lots of noise but if China are happy, they won't do much.
Sure, why not? I'm failing to see what NK brings to the table for China. All they've done is to help SK build a strong military and the US have now made the area it's full focus of operations. China must love that.
The one country that might be begging the US to keep things as they are is Japan.
The one country that might be begging the US to keep things as they are is Japan.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/nor...
Article said:
Talking about the only public golf course in the country - Kim Jong-il, Mr Kim's father and the iconic former dictator of the country, who died in 2011 aged 69, famously played a round at the course in 1994.
It was apparently the first time he had played golf in his life and he shot a hugely impressive 38-under par round that included no fewer than 11 holes in one.
Satisfied with his performance, he reportedly immediately declared his retirement from the sport.
It was apparently the first time he had played golf in his life and he shot a hugely impressive 38-under par round that included no fewer than 11 holes in one.
Satisfied with his performance, he reportedly immediately declared his retirement from the sport.
China also has new leadership which happens to be trendier (pop singer as a first lady, new premier promising to fight corruption and rampant greed) and, as others have said, China is changing and the world opinion of them is improving. That poses problems for America should they seek to try to make a bogeyman of them to turn the American populace against China and foster support from the rest of us. The new Chinese leadership is also seeking to be more assertive on the global stage. The change in leadership is probably the underlying cause of US manoeuvres and NK sabre rattling.
Mojocvh said:
I don't know about you lot, but I'm retreating to the hills!All is lost!
Mojocvh said:
I'm assuming you know what sort of set up 49 Para is?
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