wants NK to stay a bit wack-o, they want that instability next door to China. This came up a few weeks ago in the SMW thread with Kinda-sleazy piping up.
Not sure how many of the links still work. Sorry about the cut and paste but I'm too tired tonight to try and piece it all together again.
China is quickly becoming an economic threat to the US. They're making friends and business partners in countries where Shrub is making enemies. About the only "weapon" Shrub has to use against China is a collapse of Kim Jong-il's regime. Something I think Shrub is going to want to keep in his pocket for later use.
ozymandius (1000+ posts) Wed Jul-13-05 08:21 AM
Response to Reply #7
15. related:
Aramco (Saudi) joins forces with China’s Sinopec BEIJING: Saudi Arabia’s state-owned Aramco said yesterday it has joined with China Petroleum and Chemical Corp (Sinopec) on a massive oil and chemicals venture in China’s Fujian province.
Abdullah Jum’ah, president and chief executive of Aramco, said it highlighted the importance of China as a oil consumer, and said his company was ready to work with Beijing to keep its economy racing along.
The Wall Street Journal said the deal was valued at $3.5bn, although Abdullah refused to comment. But he said more projects with Sinopec were in the pipeline.
“That will expand an existing refinery complex to provide additional quantities of refined products and petrochemicals,” he said at a briefing here.
lots more...
http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=44196&version=1&template_id=48&parent_id=28 Printer Friendly | Link | | Top
54anickel (1000+ posts) Wed Jul-13-05 08:40 AM
Response to Reply #15
19. Sort of makes one wonder how Rice's rattling of North Korea ties in,
especially so soon after NK agreed to return to the table.
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54anickel (1000+ posts) Wed Jul-13-05 09:16 AM
Response to Reply #19
34.
U.S. tries courtesy with North Korea http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPSt... BEIJING -- Secret diplomatic intrigue and economic pressure were key factors, but North Korea's surprise announcement of a return to the nuclear bargaining table may be largely due to a newly respectful tone by U.S. leaders who now refer to the regime's dictator as "Mr. Kim."
After a year of stalemate in the nuclear crisis, a diplomatic breakthrough on the weekend led to an announcement that North Korean officials will return to Beijing later this month to resume the six-nation negotiations on the crisis.
The deal was sealed Saturday night at a three-hour dinner between U.S. and North Korean diplomats at a Beijing restaurant. The biggest factor in the deal may have been Washington's new politeness toward the nuclear-armed regime.
For years, U.S. leaders had been denouncing the regime as "an outpost of tyranny," a member of the "axis of evil." President George W. Bush declared that he "loathed" the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il.
When the nuclear negotiations broke down last year, Pyongyang made it clear that respect from the United States was a crucial issue in the discussions. North Korean officials demanded a better attitude from Washington. And they insisted on face-to-face bilateral talks between the two countries, despite the U.S. preference for the six-nation process.
more...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-513... Kim Jong Il Wants Nuclear-Free Korea
snip>
China, the North's last major ally, has campaigned hard over the past year to restart the disarmament negotiations. Beijing is believed to supply North Korea with up to one-third of its food and one-quarter of its energy needs.
snip>
North Korea said over the weekend it would return to the nuclear talks after being reassured by the top U.S. nuclear envoy that Washington recognized Pyongyang's sovereignty. The North has stayed away from the weapons negotiations since June 2004, citing ``hostile'' U.S. policies.
Pyongyang declared in February that it had nuclear weapons and has insisted that the nuclear standoff can only be discussed with the United States. The North's claim has not been verified independently.
In March, it declared that it should be treated equally as a nuclear power, and it demanded that the six-nation talks address the disarmament of all countries involved - including the United States.
Like that's ever going to happen
more...
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ozymandius (1000+ posts) Wed Jul-13-05 09:18 AM
Response to Reply #19
35. I don't think they want N. Korea at any table.
Their absence keeps China off balance and distracted by its kooky neighbor.
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54anickel (1000+ posts) Wed Jul-13-05 09:44 AM
Response to Reply #19
40.
Seoul Not to Abuse Energy Aid Plan http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200507/kt2005071... South Korea would never use its proposed electricity aid to North Korea as ``leverage" to pressure the impoverished country once its nuclear weapons problem is resolved, a high-profile official in Seoul said Wednesday.
``When the North dismantles its nuclear program and the South starts to provide electricity, it means they are moving forward toward co-prosperity on the peninsula based on mutual trust," he said on condition of anonymity. ``How can we use it as leverage to pressure the North?"
snip>
South Korea's plan is to give the North 2 million kilowatts of electricity annually if it agrees to dismantle all of its nuclear programs. South Korea will build power transmission facilities in the coming three years, during which the North should complete denuclearization.
The targeted amount of 2 million kilowatts per year came out of a calculation based on the amount supposed to be produced by two light-water nuclear reactors, which had been built by KEDO according to the 1994 deal between the North and the United States.
The $4.6 billion plan for the two reactors has been in crisis over the past two years as the U.S. and Japan wanted to scrap it. With 35 percent of construction work completed, $1.54 billion has been poured into the KEDO project, 70 percent of which was paid by South Korea.
snip>
Officials in Seoul said the KEDO project is not dismantled for good, but just suspended for more years.
more...
China signals high-stakes role in North Koreahttp://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/SP343756.htm BEIJING, July 13 (Reuters) - An old ally of Pyongyang and the source of most of its aid, China can wield both a carrot and stick to woo North Korea back to six-party talks, but as early as last week there were grumblings it was using neither.
snip>
But when North Korea pulled out last year, the credibility of China as a world power aiming to prove it had the diplomatic skills to match its economic clout was on the line.
snip>
While China insisted the crux of the problem was mistrust between the United States and North Korea, there were quiet grumblings that China was not using the leverage of food and fuel aid to strongarm Pyongyang back to the table.
For China, the stakes are high.
"I really don't think they are using aid as pressure, because they have said very clearly that whatever Washington decides they will continue supporting North Korea," said Kathi Zellweger of the Catholic charity Caritas.
snip>
A collapse of Kim Jong-il's regime in North Korea could lead to millions of refugees spilling across its borders which would result in chaos for both countries.more...
Hmmm, China's reluctant to use "leverage" of aid, and Rice is suddenly all for lots of aid from South Korea. Trying to give the carrot and stick to a more willing player? :shrug:
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