Bullying North Korea

What happens when a bully hits you and you don’t fight back? Basically you encourage more bullying.

Let’s consider this issue in the context of North Korea. Not so long ago North Korea torpedoed a South Korean naval vessel, sinking it and killing 46 South Korean sailors.

South Korea and the rest of the nations of the world did nothing to retaliate or punish North Korea. So, emboldened, North Korea began its bullying again, by shelling a military base on a South Korean island killing several people.

I’m not recommending war with North Korea, which would result in far more casualties than these two attacks I’ve described. I am, however, recommending a talk with the bully’s parents. In this case, China. China, which is a major ally and supporter of North Korea.

China provides North Korea with most of its food and fuel supplies, and as a member of the Security Council of the United Nations, China has consistently prevented harsh sanctions being applied to North Korea.

China needs to clearly deliver a public and private condemnation of these actions, and put pressure on North Korea’s leadership to prevent further unprovoked aggression. China needs to punish Kim Jong Il’s regime for its actions or face punishment from the rest of us.

China does not want to see Kim Jong Il’s regime fall. Its reasoning is that, if the North Korean government fell, there would be a mass exodus from North Korea to China. Additionally, a reunification of North and South Korea would potentially put American troops along the China- Korea border.

But if China is OUR friend and we buy so many Chinese made goods and China holds so much of OUR western debt, what should it have to fear from a unified Korea?

Yes China has difficulty controlling North Korea, but it has to be seen to be making a real effort. Beijing should make its economic and financial support of North Korea conditional on North Korea's stopping all aggression and genuinely agreeing to denuclearization. North Korea needs to clearly see that there are consequences to its bullying, and China is the one key to consequences that doesn’t risk all-out war.

China wants to keep the status quo. It wants NO war, NO collapse and NO nuclear weapons on its border but clearly such a position is unsustainable.

China is aiding and abetting a horrific and potentially catastrophic regime. Asking China to co-operate has not worked with its currency and it has not worked with North Korea. Instead of fearing China’s economic power, China should be fearing our economic power. We in the West are its largest market. The safety of the world may hinge on what we do OR fail to do now.