The Imbroglia with North Korea
In the years prior to the most recent nuclear test that's set off weeks of intonations by North Korea, two other displays of nuclear arms testing had once occurred. The recent incident took place February 11th, resulting in high alert by the US, South Korea, and a somewhat distraught China. The strong rhetoric spewing from the newly appointed 28 year old leader about launching attacks on US forces stationed in Asia and America has not been taken lightly. Similar to the country's previous detonations, the most recent incident took place in an underground silo of a remote northern area about a hundred miles from the Chinese border. People from China reported feeling buildings shake as if experiencing a small earthquake tremor.
The first of North Korea's testing of nuclear capabilities occurred in October of 2006. Shortly after, the incident prompted major concern by many of the world’s countries. Following the incident, the North Korean government issued an apology and then made a request for diplomatic talks that led to six party negotiations involving the nations of the United States, Russia, China, Japan, South and North Korea.
This was the second official meeting among these nations related to the nuclear issue. The end result was an admission of wrong committed by the North Korean leader. This shamefully led to a deal to be struck that offered aid in exchange for assurances that the country would scrap it's nuclear program. Specifically what was to be provided by the US and other members were resources to help North Korea construct a hydro electrical plant for civilian energy. However, no such abandonment of the weapons program ever took place. Frequently since, inspectors of the UN who are to visit facilities in the country have been refused access to areas described as off limits by the Kim family government.
Should any softened tone from the Pyangyong government transpire, it’s now highly unlikely that the United States will stand down from a tough position of refusal to compromise. The situation has led to a growing impatience from US military for what the new North Korean leader has stirred up for himself. As has shown to be false, it was recently thought that a change for the best would result after the 2011 succession as many believed Kim Yung-un to be more moderate than his father Kim Chong-Il in bolstering the military state.
China’s stance on the recent provocations have been somewhat of a departure from the usual complacency for many of the actions taken by it's fellow communist neighbor. The relationship now shows signs of strain as China has admonished North Korea that may potentially lead to an adjustment in China's way of handling the country. The US has strongly encouraged China to take more of a proactive stance in forcing North Korea to become a non-nuclear nation.
The newly appointed premier of China Xi Jinping was said to have delivered a written statement to Kim Yung-un last November that vowed to leave relations between the two countries unchanged as long as North Korea doesn’t perform nuclear testing. Now with this obviously having been violated and the eruption of threatening dialogue throughout the last month, China’s position may sway closer to the direction of the US.
China's history of passiveness to North Korea’s militaristic state is believed to be partly a way for it's strategic defenses to be in place. It is believed that China perceives it's ability to manage regional dominance with North Korea acting as a buffer against South Korea, the close United States ally.
Being it's only provider of resources, China exports fuel to North Korea for whom it already charges the highest price compared to any other of the nations that China sends shipments. They also provide food and other basic resources such as raw materials for clothing and a few consumer goods.
An underground black market of exchange between the two countries has been ongoing for many years which largely goes unnoticed by North Korean officials in efforts to deviously appease the country’s population. Allowing such activity to go largely unpunished is thought to prevent uprisings by the people who may then posses items such as banned movies, tobacco, and other comfort items.
The United States has reacted to the uproar by not only sending Secretary of State John Kerry to meetings with the heads of state in Seoul and Beijing but also US military action in the area has been increased. The dispatch of two ships containing Aegis antimissile defenses occurred recently and plans to position land based defense systems in Guam is scheduled in the coming months. More naval training maneuvers with South Korea have taken place as well.
But this presence of US military in and around the area has been a sore point with China who typically views such activity as a threat to its own national security. The Obama administration has responded to this concern by saying "if the threat disappears i.e. North Korea de-nuclearizes, the same imperative doesn’t exist."
Additionally, the military has hastened some of its early plans in phasing in its 'pivot' towards buffing up strategic interests in South Asia. At the same time, some of the lessor concerns that have been an issue in this region include the disputed territorial claims between China and Japan over a group of islands in the South China Sea.
Another Article on North Korea's History and Arms Race
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