While the rest of the world, including Britain, issued unequivocal condemnation of Pyongyang and called for action against the Kim regime, the best that China's deputy foreign minister Cui Tiankai could manage was that the sinking of the Cheonan was "unfortunate".
It was, of course, nothing of the kind. The sinking was a deliberate, pre-planned operation in which a North Korean submarine commander armed a torpedo, plotted a firing solution and then pulled the trigger, killing 46 young sailors in cold blood.
The fact that China appears unable to join the chorus of condemnation for this wanton act of provocation is simply unbecoming a nation that, day by day, demands a greater say in the how the world is run. With rights must come responsibilities.
I'm not sure how we make China more responsible. But we can at least make China pay the full cost of bolstering their little psycho regime ally. We should cut off all economic support (including humanitarian aid) for North Korea.
Will China make up for that complete cut off? Sure. So what? At least make China pay the full cost to maintain their little nuclear-armed loose cannon. Why should we subsidize that madness any longer?
We've passed the point where we need to stall for time by talking and trickling in aid so North Korea weakens too much to threaten South Korea with a credible invasion option. I think we can afford to be more aggressive in squeezing North Korea.
Let North Korea die. Or at least make Peking pay to keep them on life support.
