My question remains, if NK nuked (again, very unlikely) SK or the US and either state's dramatically larger military retaliated in some way on NK soil, is it likely that China would involve itself?
If NK nukes SK or USA, no China would not have their back
thank you.
BUT WHAT IF THEY DID!? That would be so, so scary.
As the U.S. pursues things like Prompt Global Strike, nuclear weapons will be the only leverage smaller nations have against U.S. hegemony and aggression.
Agreed. Things aren't fair, but you know what? It's better to be on our side of it than their side. And i have little sympathy for North Korea.
From a HuffPost article today......
China, which has shown signs of increasing exasperation with its neighbour, repeated calls for the "denuclearisation" of the Korean peninsula and urged its client state and others to react calmly, while pressing Pyongyang not to ramp up tension further, something the North had threatened in the run-up to the test.
"We strongly urge North Korea to abide by its non-nuclear commitment and not to take any further actions that would worsen the situation", it said in a statement.
China is a permanent member of the Security Council.
South Korea, still technically at war with the North after the 1950-53 civil war ended in a mere truce, said the size of the seismic activity indicated a nuclear explosion slightly larger than the North's two previous tests at 6-7 kilotons, although that is still relatively small. The Hiroshima bomb was around 20 kilotons.
The U.S. Geological Survey said that a seismic event measuring 5.1 magnitude had occurred on Tuesday, with North Korea later confirming the nuclear test.
"It was confirmed that the nuclear test that was carried out at a high level in a safe and perfect manner using a miniaturized and lighter nuclear device with greater explosive force than previously did not pose any negative impact on the surrounding ecological environment," KCNA said.
Despite China's tame response, it likely to be a major embarrassment for Beijing, the North's sole major economic and diplomatic ally.
"The test is hugely insulting to China, which now can be expected to follow through with threats to impose sanctions," said Mark Fitzpatrick of the International Institute for Strategic Studies think tank.
