So is China threatening us, too?

[adigal]

Here is the quote from the WaPo:

“China should also make clear that if North Korea launches missiles that threaten U.S. soil first and the U.S. retaliates, China will stay neutral,” it added. “If the U.S. and South Korea carry out strikes and try to overthrow the North Korean regime and change the political pattern of the Korean Peninsula, China will prevent them from doing so."

So...what does that mean?

[Ms. Toad]

1. It will not stay neutral if the US and South Korea attempt a regime change. n/t

[MyNameIsKhan]

2. They are saying, NK is being managed and will not start a war... if orange madman goes beserk

They will do everything and take NK's side.

[Stuart G]

4. THAT IS IT, ...CHINA WILL KEEP NORTH KOREA FROM STARTING A WAR...

Now someone has to keep the ......United States from starting a war...keep Trump from starting a war...

therefore, China is doing its part to stop the war...without China's support, North Korea looses..
China is helping the world to avoid war..

.All of us, must do our part....and Trump needs to be controlled.. give him some free rounds of golf..or whatever will calm him down.......no, I don't care what it or that is........Trump needs to be calmed down..NO WAR!!!

[brush]

6. Wait a minute. China says it will stay neutral if NK strikes first but will intercede if the US...

strikes first.

That is not saying China will stop NK from striking.

[MyNameIsKhan]

13. China is saying that its doing its part that NK will not attack, that is why they will side with NK

if orange Madman attacks NK. This is how I read this statement.

[brush]

15. How I read it is they will stay nuetral if NK strikes first.

That's pretty clear.

What's also clear is they will intercede on NK's behalf if crazy orangeman strikes first.

[Control-Z]

16. By remaining neutral, if the NK madman

starts launching missiles the US (w)could easily annihilate NK, they (China) won't get in the way. If our madman starts first they will defend NK.

They're sending two messages. To NK lunatic: Don't do it. To American lunatic: Don't do it.

They are being the voice of reason.

[brush]

20. I'm not getting that message to NK. Saying they will remain neutral if NK strikes...

IMO says to NK you're on your own.

It says what it says. They will remain neutral. Neutral means they will take no side.

There's no mistaking that.

The message to trump is equally unmistakably.

If you strike first we will intercede. We will not remain neutral. They will have NK's back.

The two messages I get are, China doesn't care if NK strikes us first but trump better not strike NK first.

That's pretty clear. Take them at their word, what the message says on paper.

[adigal]

24. What does that mean, though? That they will not remain neutral?

What does that mean? Another shooting war with China? My father had Chinese soldiers running down the mountain yelling, "Marines, tonight you die," in the Chosin Reservoir in The Korean War. We do NOT want China pissed off.

[brush]

34. Of course we don't. Tell that to trump.

[kwassa]

31. China does care if NK strikes first ...

by refusing to help NK if it does. NK has no hope of surviving a war without China's help.

[bronxiteforever]

32. +1000

[brush]

35. I take them at their word. They say they will remain neutral in NK strikes first.

[kwassa]

40. That is just it. Neutral means NK loses.

China rescued NK in the Korean war in 1950-53; we were whipping their butts until the Chinese army crossed the Yalu river and changed everything.

[brush]

43. We're not in the 50s. It would be clear to the world if NK strikes us with a nuke...

first that they are the aggressor.

Mao and his policies are long gone and China, a developed nation with its own form of capitalism

now has a different world view of the US and is not going to gamble on becoming a pariah nation

by backing a nuclear aggressor.

[adigal]

23. I thought that - and that they are threatening us.

Although the talking heads mostly are saying China is threatening North Korea.

[Fred Sanders]

3. Clearly no.

[kwassa]

5. China is being the adult in the room.

If NK starts something, they are on their own.

If Donald starts something, China comes in on NK's side.

Smart move.

[Stuart G]

10. No truer words were ever spoken..China the adult..Trump the child.

[herding cats]

7. To the US the message is: Don't start something and there will be nothing.

To North Korea the message is: Act a fool and you lose our support.

[Stuart G]

9. That is correct. If Trump does not start anything..there will be nothing..

just as it has been for the last 60 years..uneasy peace..NO WAR..

[herding cats]

11. It's just a reminder in my opinion.

Both sides know what the unsaid in public agreements are. China just wagged its finger at the kids and reminded them what they'd lose if they were naughty.

[brush]

36. There you go.

[Corgigal]

8. Regime change?

The damn soil will be radioactive. No one will be there for thousands of years.

Again, I must be missing something.

Nothing to defend China.

[maryellen99]

12. There is a mutual defense treaty between China and NK

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-North_Korean_Mutual_Aid_and_Cooperation_Friendship_Treaty

[adigal]

25. Why is no one talking about this? Thank you! Nt

[maryellen99]

28. You're welcome nt

[Weekend Warrior]

14. China is telling both sides to STFU.

It's a pretty bold statement by China. They really are taking a lot of responsibility with respect to NK with their comments. Seems they feel they can continue to control NK. It's what many of us want. China to control their backyard.

[Warren DeMontague]

17. This shitshow is, in large part, their fault.

It's probably too much to expect China to care about the human rights of those people, but they need to get the leadership under more control.

[Weekend Warrior]

19. I was thinking about human rights when I typed my post.

I was thinking about it on a personal level. It seems I'm willing to gloss over some of the most horrific human rights violation in the world in order to avoid a war with NK. By that I mean I'm willing to let China help keep the NK government as is in place knowing China has little to no concern for the abuse inflicted on the NK people.

I never thought I was someone who would turn an eye to such horrific treatment of people. Apparently I am.

[Warren DeMontague]

21. Dont beat yourself up. The problem is, there are no good or easy answers.

North Korea has a lot of hostages, basically- like 1 million Seoul residents.

So avoiding war has its humanitarian justifications, too.

[roamer65]

18. China is assuming a similar stance as 1950-1953.

They did not get involved until UN troops came very close to the Yalu River in October 1950.

I would assume they will stay neutral until they feel their border is threatened.

I don't think they want a western-leaning unified Korea, regardless of who starts the conflict.

The best result we can hope for is a Beijing-led coup d'etat in Pyongyang.

[adigal]

26. Well, they were involved at the Chosin Reservoir. Not good. Nt

[Not Ruth]

22. I think that China ought to clarify their position to eliminate any misunderstanding of where they

stand and what they will do to who. Are they ready to use ICBMs for instance? Ground troops in NK? Ground troops on the US mainland?

[adigal]

27. Yes, I wonder what them not remaining neutral meant, specifically

But China is smarter than to make specific promises.

[practicaljohn]

29. yep,,,china should be clear where they stand.

man, we gotta manage to get some sense into the world.
control our madman. control nk madman. let china calm sitaution down,

[workinclasszero]

30. Sounds like the Korean war pt 2

This time with nukes.

Well the UN won't be backing the insane shitgibbon this time as he flings his WMD's around like a toddler throwing his toys in a shit fit.

We will be all on our own then China will invade with a million man army again maybe Russia will assist them as well.

Maybe this was Putin and China's plan all along. Trump has been putting them in the drivers seat every since he got "elected".

A second Korean war with the loss of millions of lives will cement the deal forever.

[Voltaire2]

33. Seems clear to me.

If NK attacks the US they are on their own. If the US attacks NK China will intervene to support NK.

The last part has been Chinese policy for more than 60 years.

[brush]

37. That's exactly how I read it too.

[0rganism]

38. that means China just did us all a HUGE favor

the calculus for "preemptive" military strikes on North Korea just changed significantly, now that China has weighed in unambiguously. Trump could pretend the US mainland was safe from North Korea's missiles, but he can't pretend that about China's missiles, and his military advisers are going to make that extremely clear to him.

similarly, Mr. Kim will now understand that China will not intervene on DPRK's behalf if he attacks first.

basically, China just turned the first move into a losing proposition, so neither side will take it. they just established a balance of power in the region with China as the fulcrum. nicely played, i think.

i expect Trump will shut up about North Korea next week and start saber-rattling against Venezuela instead.

[lunasun]

39. Yes and they have oil and Kelly already caused a fury there when in The southern strategy

[adigal]

41. Who would have thought China would be the country to pull the USA back from brink??

This is all Bizarro world.

[oasis]

42. China warning NK: Don't let your mouth write a check your ass can't cash.

[adigal]

44. Heh. True. Thanks nt