Trouble in the Waters?
Tensions flare yet
again with North Korea's latest outburst. The trigger? It appears that
there were several joint US-South Korean search and rescue drills being
performed off the coast of the Korean peninsula. This latest outburst
could not have come a worse time for peace in the region as the US
government, one of the most vocal players for peace in the region,
remains out of commission and will likely remain so unless domestic
budget issues are resolved soon. With this in mind it is surprising to
see the US military flexing their muscle in that particular area of the
world during a time where their major infrastructure is not up and
running. North Korean officials have even been quoted as saying "The
moment of explosion is coming fast" a pretty thinly veiled threat
towards the American interests in the region. As an observer I have got
to say that China's passive comments on reigning in North Korea is
clearly not enough and China needs to show more action as a leader in
the region and cannot allow North Korea to run amok in their backyard. I
really hope to see China step up in the coming months.
So... the U.S. has to stay out of North Korea, but China should get involved? I have to say, that might be just what the region ordered. There is probably nothing that would intimidate North Korea more at this point than a strong negative response from China. The anti-American rhetoric at times seems to do little else but fan the flames of pro-national sentiment... but a cold shoulder from China... well... that might just make North Korea reconsider and it might just bring doubt to whatever supporter Kim Jung-Un may have left.
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