While I'd rather not have the so-called "benefits" of a psychotic nuclear-armed despotic North Korea that Kim Jong Un's criminal-enterprise-with-a-UN-seat is, it is a consolation prize to read this wailing about China's bad luck in this whole affair:
In a boon for U.S. policy that can only add to China's frustration with Kim, North Korean bellicosity has helped reinforce an American strategy of rebalancing its security policies toward the Asia-Pacific region.
To a China that often sounds more wary of Washington than of Pyongyang, months of North Korean missile and nuclear tests followed by a daily stream of bloodthirsty war threats may be worrisome, but the U.S. reaction is even more troubling.
"We understand what kind of regime North Korea is, but we also understand that North Korea is playing games," said Sun Zhe, director of the Center for U.S-China Relations at Beijing's Tsinghua University.
"Most importantly, we are complaining that the United States is using military drills as an excuse to continue to do this (rebalancing), putting up B-2s and other advanced weapons systems," he said.
Really? They didn't see that one coming? I thought the Chinese rulers, based on their ancient civilization, are far-sighted and patient planners who see decades into the future in contrast to our pathetic short-term thinking born of being just a couple centuries old?
It's almost as if the Chinese enjoyed the short-term thrill of watching their feral little friend frighten America, Japan, and South Korea without seeing past that knee-slapping hilarity.
But that view of China's awesome patience is just silly, isn't it?
Personally, I think people mistake caution and secrecy for patience and long-range thinking.
China will probably actually be surprised when Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Australia, and even Indonesia go nuclear out of worries over China's aggressive intent.
But hey, I imagine there are some here who still think that we fell into Osama bin Laden's deep trap by kicking his jihadis' butts all over the CENTCOM AOR for the last decade or so.
