NORTH KOREA'S NUKES

Why hasn't there been a thread about this yet?

China's decision is the fulcrum in this situation. They can threaten to stop propping up the regime and exert a certain amount of control over it. But both Kim Jong Il and China know that Kim is the kind of guy to fire off a nuke if there is little chance of him living the rest of his life in opulent splendour.

If they keep on propping up it's regime undoubtedly Kim will try to maintain his leverage.

I think China should use what influence it has to integrate North Korea and China and to encourage Kim to open up his economy. China will do all the work preventing foreigners from disgruntling his military whilst Kim can make a little money on the side. The reasonning being, sure he has nukes, but he wants the same thing as everyone else. So why not show him the benefits of making his populace more valuable.

>>2
He said it.  There really is very little incentive for China to change the status quo on the peninsula.  In fact, the ONLY incentive is that the situation puts some amount of U.S. and international pressure onto China.

In other words, a true resolution of this situation pretty much means regime change, and therefore, regime change in a neighboring state needs to look better to China than letting NK remain nuclear.  That's what the international community somehow has to impress on China's government.  A tall order, certainly, since it would mean taking on a whole assload of refugees.