WHILE the rest of the world looks to Beijing to stop North Korea from exploding a nuclear bomb, a leading Chinese analyst says it is too late — China cannot act without doing worse harm to its own interests.
Fascinating. When the harm to China's interests of North Korea setting off a nuclear device includes Japan going nuclear and rearming in earnest; with possible cascading atomic proliferation as South Korea and Taiwan decide not to be the last on the block without nukes, how on Earth could China conclude that stopping North Korea would be worse?
Is a little economic dislocation really worse if North Korea collapses either outright or as the result of losing a desperate war against South Korea?
Do the Chinese seriously believe having a loose cannon pointed at Japan and America is so desirable that they'll risk a nuclear-armed Japan and Taiwan to keep that so-called asset?
I guess that says a lot about how China views us. "Strategic partner," indeed.
It kind of reminds me of the fable of the Scorpion and the Frog. You know, a scorpion wants a frog to give him a lift across a stream and the frog protests the scorpion will kill him. The scorpion says not to worry, if I sting you, I die too, since I can't swim. So the frog takes the scorpion on his back and heads across the stream:
Halfway across the river, the frog suddenly felt a sharp sting in his back and, out of the corner of his eye, saw the scorpion remove his stinger from the frog's back. A deadening numbness began to creep into his limbs.
"You fool!" croaked the frog, "Now we shall both die! Why on earth did you do that?"
The scorpion shrugged, and did a little jig on the drownings frog's back.
"I could not help myself. It is my nature."
Then they both sank into the muddy waters of the swiftly flowing river.
China can't help herself. It is their nature, apparently.
