DPRK -- Cancer and new Xiongnu threat to China

[reedak]

1. The following are excerpts from Jon Lockett's 4th May 2017 news report headlined "'STOP DANCING TO TRUMP'S TUNE!' North Korea threatens nuclear war with main ally China and warns of ‘grave consequences’ for cosying up to the US" at https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/3477558/north-korea-threatens-nuclear-war-china-beijing-us/

(Begin excerpts)
TRIGGER-HAPPY Kim Jong-un has now set his sights on close ally China accusing it of cosying up to the United States.

A worrying statement from North Korea’s state news agency KCNA has slammed its neighbour for “insincerity and betrayal” and warns of “grave consequences“.

Pyongyang propaganda bosses also accused the communist giant of “dancing to the tune” of Donald Trump.

It said: “A string of absurd and reckless remarks are now heard from China every day only to render the present bad situation tenser....

The comments come after China warned the rogue nation to cease hostilities with the US or face further sanctions.

It also called for the regime to dismantle its nuclear programme immediately or “face consequences”.

North Korea hit back over criticism of its nuke programme accusing “ignorant politicians and media persons” of undermining decades of close relations.

“The DPRK will never beg for the maintenance of friendship with China,” KCNA said....

The report chided China for its “insincerity and betrayal on the part of its partner”.

China’s state-run Global Times newspaper retorted on Thursday that the nuclear-armed North was in the grip of “some form of irrational logic” over its weapons programmes....

China's state-run media has called for harsher sanctions against North Korea in the event of a new nuclear test.

It urged Pyongyang to "avoid making mistakes at this time".

But KCNA rebuked those suggestions in a rare outburst against its longtime ally.

"Ignorant politicians and media persons of China … are advised to clearly understand the essence of history before opening their mouth," the commentary said.

"China should no longer try to test the limits of the DPRK's patience.

"China had better ponder over the grave consequences to be entailed by its reckless act of chopping down the pillar of the DPRK-China relations." (End excerpts)

2. The following are excerpts from the May 3, 2017 Reuters news report headlined "North Korean media issues rare criticism of China over nuclear warnings" at http://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-china-idUSKBN17Z1TA

(Begin excerpts)
....The KCNA commentary said calls by "some ignorant politicians and media persons" in China for stricter sanctions on North Korea and not ruling out military intervention if it refused to abandon its nuclear program, were "based on big-power chauvinism."

It said North Korea's nuclear program was needed for the "existence and development" of the country and "can never be changed nor shaken."... (End excerpts)

3. The following are excerpts from a 4th May 2017 news report by Lucy Clarke-Billings under the headline "North Korea warns of 'grave consequences' to ally China in chilling threat - but Beijing says they're 'good friends'" at http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/north-korea-warns-grave-consequences-10353556

(Begin excerpts)
....North Korea's KCNA news agency referred to recent commentaries in China's People's Daily and Global Times newspapers, which it said were "widely known as media speaking for the official stand of the Chinese party and government".

It accused China of "shifting the blame for deteriorated relations with the DPRK" and "talking rubbish" on issues relating to the US.

It also held China responsible for "hyping up" damage caused by North Korean nuclear tests to China's three northeastern provinces....

KCNA said Chinese state media's calls for North Korea to dismantle its nuclear programme were "a wanton violation of the independent and legitimate rights, dignity and supreme interests" of North Korea and constituted "an undisguised threat to an honest-minded neighbouring country which has a long history and tradition of friendship".

But in Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said...

"China's position on developing friendly, good-neighbourly relations with North Korea is also consistent and clear," Geng told reporters, in response to a question about the KCNA commentary....(End excerpts)

 

[reedak]

4. The KCNA opinion piece accused China of "big-power chauvinism". In actual fact it is quite the reverse. When North Korea speaks to China, it speaks like a big power to a small insignificant neighbour, talking brazenly about its "dignity and supreme interests". When China speaks to North Korea, it speaks softly and cautiously like a mother speaking to a pampered kid as though she is afraid that he will run away from home and leave her forever. Using an analogy, it is not the man walking the dog but the dog walking the man towards the brink of an abyss.

Fatso's disrespect and open defiance against China come as no surprise. Many years ago, I chanced upon an article in a newspaper claiming that Kim Jong-il, the late father of Fatso, did not hide his low regard for Chinese leaders even when he was a student. By slamming China for “insincerity and betrayal” and accusing it of “dancing to the tune” of Donald Trump, North Korea's outburst is akin to a rabid dog urinating on its master's head. By threatening China with “grave consequences“ and warning it not to test "the limits of the DPRK's patience", North Korea's threat is akin to a rabid dog defecating upon its master's head. Had China pursued great power chauvinist policies toward North Korea after the Korean War, it would not have created a Frankenstein on its very doorstep. Unlike the US which took control of Japan after World War II, China made a serious mistake by giving North Korea absolute freedom to do whatever it liked after the Korean War.

The commentary claimed that North Korea's nuclear program was needed for the "existence and development" of the country. Like his late father, Fatso should know that North Korea's geographical position has shielded it from US attacks. If the rogue state is situated in the Middle East, its leaders would have departed like Muammar Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein long ago. Is Fatso really so naive as to think that he can defend his country with a few nuclear bombs against the US which has enough nuclear bombs to destroy the earth several times?

While the rest of East Asia are advancing economically by leaps and bounds, North Korea is on a downward spiral to economic collapse. If not for the Chinese handouts in its beggar's bowl, the regime would have collapsed long ago. Yet the commentary boasted that North Korea "will never beg for the maintenance of friendship with China". Fatso is advised to clearly understand the reality on the ground before opening his mouth.

Why can't North Korea follow the footsteps of other communist countries such as Vietnam and Cuba? Why can't it march in step with the rest of East Asia economically? North Korea is obviously the odd man of East Asia as it is seriously out of step with the times. The rogue state suffers from fossilized leadership trapped in a time warp of the ancient Warring States in which relatives such as uncle and half brother were killed in a power struggle.

The commentary also accused China of recklessly "chopping down the pillar of the DPRK-China relations". The truth is North Korea has nothing left for China to chop because the so-called "pillar of the DPRK-China relations" has long been vaporized by North Korea's nuclear tests. It is not too late for North Korea to discard its nuclear programme and focus on its economy. Through denuclearization, it will be able to return all the economic resources from the military to the people. Its people will be able to live with a full stomach in a peaceful, progressive and prosperous society.

 

[reedak]

5. With his fear-mongering and posturing, Fatso looks more menacing, aggressive and reckless than his late father Kim Jong-il. I think the real genius should be the late Kim as Fatso is just following the road map laid down by him. In my opinion, the late Kim was the most brilliant military strategist of his time. He succeeded to exploit North Korea's geopolitical position and the animosity between China and the US in order to achieve his nuclear ambitions. It is a miracle of this century that a small impoverished country can openly pursue its nuclear weapons programme without any fear of the big powers around it (Russia, China, Japan and the US). It is akin to a rabid dog baring its fangs and growling at a bear, a dragon, a wolf and an eagle around it.

Under Songun or the "military first" policy adopted by the late Kim Jong-il, North Korea has been diverting all available resources from 24 million starving inhabitants to support a military of more than 1 million soldiers and a costly nuclear programme, even at the risk of economic collapse. "Military first", as a principle, guides political and economic life in North Korea with "military first" politics dominating the political system; "a line of military-first economic construction" acting as an economic system; and "military-first ideology" serving as the guiding ideology.

There is an eerie resemblance between North Korea's "military first" policy and pre-war Japanese militarism. The latter refers to the ideology in the Empire of Japan that militarism should dominate the political and social life of the nation, and that the strength of the military is equal to the strength of a nation. It will be a great contradiction for China to fear the resurrection of Japanese militarism but turn a blind eye to North Korea's rising militarism and burgeoning nuclear threat. We can't rule out any expamsionist designs from North Korea's "military first" policy. Once it subdues the South, the next targets will be other neighbouring countries such as China, Japan and and the adjoining Russian territory. Neither China should forget its lingering territorial issues with Korea nor the wars between Chinese dynasties and the ancient Korean kingdoms.

North Korea's nuclear weapons programme is like a cancer to China. Like an operation to get rid of a malignant tumour in a vital organ, the task of denuclearising North Korea cannot be done without any significant risk. In the process of denuclearisation, North Korea could be forced to fire a few nuclear missiles at China. However, if nothing is done to remove the cancer, it will spread and eventually kill the patient. Hence an operation will at least give the patient a chance of survival.

Fatso is 33 years old. Nowadays, people could live up to 90 years old. Let's assume North Korea can produce one nuclear bomb every year. By the time Fatso reaches the age of 90, he will produce at least 57 nuclear bombs which will be enough to wipe China off the map. Don't think Fatso is so idiotic that he knows only to fire his nuclear missiles southward and eastward. One fine day, he may fire his nuclear missiles westward and northward.

North Korea's latest warning of "grave consequences" to China bears testimony to its potential nuclear threat to its protector and benefactor. The range of North Korea's nuclear missiles now covers most parts of China even before they can reach America. Its medium-range ballistic missiles can hit major cities like Beijing, Tianjin and Shanghai.

Even without US pressure, it is imperative for China to eliminate the North Korean nuclear threat before it erupts into a full-blown crisis. It is suicidal for China to tolerate the existence of a trigger-happy nuclear-armed North Korea on its doorstep. Such a situation is akin to a bandit pointing a gun at a victim's forehead. Hence, it is NOW or NEVER for China to eliminate the North Korean nuclear threat. Failing to do so would be courting disaster.

Perhaps China could take a leaf out of Han Wudi's book to denuclearize the rogue state. Throughout the centuries, China had been threatened by nomadic tribes from across the borders. Actually most of the threats along the frontiers could be nipped in the bud before they turned into full-scale invasions. Most of the time, however, nothing was done to counter the threats until the invaders arrived at the foot of the city wall.

One of the well-documented threats in Chinese history came from the Xiongnu, a nomadic people who raided Northern China throughout 4th and 3rd centuries BC from Ancient Central Asia. Fortunately, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.–A.D. 220), also known as Han Wudi, who ruled from 141–87 BC, reckoned the seriousness of the Xiongnu threat. Unlike most Chinese rulers who wavered and stalled to buy time, he was determined to solve the problem once and for all so as not to pass it to future generations.

Most people would think a Chinese emperor, as a dictator, had the absolute power to do anything that struck his fancy. In actual fact, it's not necessarily the case. First and foremost, Han Wudi had to overcome the political infighting, opposition and indecision before he could launch his first campaign against the Xiongnu. It took him quite some time to overcome all the domestic obstacles.

Don't think the Xiongnu were a backward and stupid people. They were as cunning, if not more cunning than the North Korean regime. They knew an influx of refugees could destabilize the Han economy. They knew how to cut the water supply to enemy troops by poisoning wells, streams and rivers. They knew how to spread diseases to enemy troops through rotting carcasses. In the past, China had successfully eliminated the Xiongnu threat. Hopefully, it can repeat the same feat against the new Xiongnu this time.

China may not have the political resolve to dismantle North Korea's nuclear weapons programme now. At the moment, however, China must not let North Korea drag it into a war with any country. One way China can discard the excess North Korean baggage is to declare its absolute non-commitment to North Korea: "We Chinese had enough sufferings from the late Qing dynasty to the end of the Second World War. We don't want to lose overnight the little bit of progress and prosperity which we have achieved since 1978. You are not a Chinese province, yet we treat you better than any of our provinces. We are washing our hands of all conflicts on the Korean peninsula. If you want to fight against the US, please go ahead. If you want to die, please die faster. Don't drag us along to hell. Henceforth we have nothing to do with you."