South Korean government thinks they are desperate without THAAD because of alleged nuclear weapons possessed by North Korea. They simply say this would never effect any Chinese asset.
We can discuss this further but as far as I see North Korea has long been an elephant in the room for China - South Korea relations. A nuclear North Korea, as expected, means South Korean counter armament and everybody knows which country will sell arms to South Korea.
The problem is from day 1 of Kim Jong Un's regime, North Korean government is acting like they're being run by a CIA agent or a low IQ special individual. I mean there is no other possibility.
There is a security agreement between North Korea and China, means North Korea is untouchable. Meaning no need for nuclear weapons.
Even if North Korea cracks the problem to make an atomic bomb, the country would be decades of research back from making a reliable ICBM with good countermeasures for anti-ICBM.
Even if North Korea cracks the problem of producing a reliable ICBM it's a very well known fact that nuclear war is a number game and one needs to have hundreds of ICBMs, if not thousands, to effectively destroy entire USA. This country is alive thanks to International aid. Starting a nuclear program for North Korea is like living on welfare checks but trying to make a tank for securing your house.
Besides since there is a security deal with China (i.e. Beijing officially considers any attack on North Korea to itself) there is no need to have massive unrealistic military projects. This program is clearly redundant, stupid and counter productive for North Korea.
North Korea should've worked with China from the beginning. After reforms and opening up Chinese vision was political reforms in North Korea (a similar opening up), political rapprochement with South Korea and eventual reunification under a Market oriented economy. That would solve a lot of problems. Now the simple rescued "buffer land" for China has become the main political actor in the region for 3 decades.
Below you can find the news source for the South Korean official's remarks.
@TaiShang what do you think about the issue?
----------
China needs to understand that it is a matter of life or death for South Koreans to protect themselves from possible North Korean nuclear attack and that Beijing should engage in talks over the possible deployment of a new U.S. anti-missile system there, a senior South Korean official said on Monday.
The United States and South Korea earlier began talks on possible deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system after North Korea tested its fourth nuclear bomb on Jan. 6 and launched a long-range rocket on Feb. 7, but China firmly opposes the move.
Shin Beomchul, director-general for policy planning at South Korea's foreign ministry, told a seminar that more conversations were need with China on the issue.
"I hope to ask China’s understanding of what (South) Korea is feeling about the North Korean threat," he told the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
"It is not the usual threat, it is a nuclear threat. That’s very serious. We are now in the live-or-die situation," he said.
"We have to solve the ... misunderstanding, but the fundamental point is that to protect our country is the top priority."
Ultimately, the way to resolve the controversy would be to decrease the North Korean threat, he added.
Mark Lambert, director of the Office of Korean Affairs at the U.S. State Department, told the seminar Beijing was still refusing a U.S. offer of briefings to explain that the system was not aimed at limiting China's defense capabilities.
South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Hyoung-zhin stressed the need for all countries to put pressure on North Korea to abandon its nuclear program through full implementation of international and bilateral sanctions.
He said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's government did not look likely to give up nuclear weapons under any circumstances, but did respond to external stimuli.
"If these elements are tightly interwoven without any loophole ... the Kim Jong Un regime will realize that it cannot survive unless it gives up its nuclear program and takes steps towards denuclearization," he said.
Lambert said U.S. experts wanted to explain that the THAAD system would not negate China's nuclear deterrent as its radars would be pointed northeast into North Korea, not into China.
"We need to have that dialogue. But unfortunately to date, officials in Beijing have been unwilling to meet with our officials and hear that."
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-missiledefense-china-idUSKCN0XF2C3
We can discuss this further but as far as I see North Korea has long been an elephant in the room for China - South Korea relations. A nuclear North Korea, as expected, means South Korean counter armament and everybody knows which country will sell arms to South Korea.
The problem is from day 1 of Kim Jong Un's regime, North Korean government is acting like they're being run by a CIA agent or a low IQ special individual. I mean there is no other possibility.
There is a security agreement between North Korea and China, means North Korea is untouchable. Meaning no need for nuclear weapons.
Even if North Korea cracks the problem to make an atomic bomb, the country would be decades of research back from making a reliable ICBM with good countermeasures for anti-ICBM.
Even if North Korea cracks the problem of producing a reliable ICBM it's a very well known fact that nuclear war is a number game and one needs to have hundreds of ICBMs, if not thousands, to effectively destroy entire USA. This country is alive thanks to International aid. Starting a nuclear program for North Korea is like living on welfare checks but trying to make a tank for securing your house.
Besides since there is a security deal with China (i.e. Beijing officially considers any attack on North Korea to itself) there is no need to have massive unrealistic military projects. This program is clearly redundant, stupid and counter productive for North Korea.
North Korea should've worked with China from the beginning. After reforms and opening up Chinese vision was political reforms in North Korea (a similar opening up), political rapprochement with South Korea and eventual reunification under a Market oriented economy. That would solve a lot of problems. Now the simple rescued "buffer land" for China has become the main political actor in the region for 3 decades.
Below you can find the news source for the South Korean official's remarks.
@TaiShang what do you think about the issue?
----------
China needs to understand that it is a matter of life or death for South Koreans to protect themselves from possible North Korean nuclear attack and that Beijing should engage in talks over the possible deployment of a new U.S. anti-missile system there, a senior South Korean official said on Monday.
The United States and South Korea earlier began talks on possible deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system after North Korea tested its fourth nuclear bomb on Jan. 6 and launched a long-range rocket on Feb. 7, but China firmly opposes the move.
Shin Beomchul, director-general for policy planning at South Korea's foreign ministry, told a seminar that more conversations were need with China on the issue.
"I hope to ask China’s understanding of what (South) Korea is feeling about the North Korean threat," he told the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
"It is not the usual threat, it is a nuclear threat. That’s very serious. We are now in the live-or-die situation," he said.
"We have to solve the ... misunderstanding, but the fundamental point is that to protect our country is the top priority."
Ultimately, the way to resolve the controversy would be to decrease the North Korean threat, he added.
Mark Lambert, director of the Office of Korean Affairs at the U.S. State Department, told the seminar Beijing was still refusing a U.S. offer of briefings to explain that the system was not aimed at limiting China's defense capabilities.
South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Hyoung-zhin stressed the need for all countries to put pressure on North Korea to abandon its nuclear program through full implementation of international and bilateral sanctions.
He said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's government did not look likely to give up nuclear weapons under any circumstances, but did respond to external stimuli.
"If these elements are tightly interwoven without any loophole ... the Kim Jong Un regime will realize that it cannot survive unless it gives up its nuclear program and takes steps towards denuclearization," he said.
Lambert said U.S. experts wanted to explain that the THAAD system would not negate China's nuclear deterrent as its radars would be pointed northeast into North Korea, not into China.
"We need to have that dialogue. But unfortunately to date, officials in Beijing have been unwilling to meet with our officials and hear that."
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-missiledefense-china-idUSKCN0XF2C3
