Pyongyang launches suspected ballistic missile – South Korean military

originally posted by: D8Tee
a reply to: Xcathdra

Thats a touchy situation there.

I don't believe that China favors US involvement, that buffer zone they have in place works to their favor.

During the whole wikileaks diplomatic cables mess a few years ago it was released that Chinese diplomats told their US counterparts a unified Korea under the South was acceptable with 1 caveat. US forces were to remain south of the current DMZ.

China is not going to throw away all they have gained over the last 30-40 years to defend an insolent child who is prone to temper tantrums and who has nukes.

a reply to: Xcathdra

I don't see China jumping into it either to be honest. NK is becoming more of a problem than it is worth at this point. Kim's behavior has caused more U.S interest and involvement in the region, and that's not going to change until there is some resolution. China certainly doesn't like systems such as THAAD being introduced into their backyard for example.

a reply to: Xcathdra

The odds of winning a war against Russia, China,and North Korea? I wouldn't bet on it.

a reply to: Sagacity

China has a treaty to defend North Korea just as the U.S. has a treaty to defend South Korea.

a reply to: TheLotLizard

And they're a lot less likely to abide by that treaty than the US is. Their attitude towards the North haschanged quite a bit in recent years.

a reply to: Xcathdra

I don't suppose you have a link to that? Please?

China isn't, IMHO, going to risk war with the United States over North Korea. The same can not be said for the US vis a vis Japan and South Korea.

Client state vs two close allies.

I, personally, would have little issue with US troops remaining south of the old DMZ--save on announced exercises--to keep tensions ratcheted down. All assuming, of course, there's ever a reunification--and South Korea comes out on top.

a reply to: seagull

It really wouldn't surprise me. China has been getting more and more fed up with them in recent years.

originally posted by: TheLotLizard
a reply to: Sagacity

China has a treaty to defend North Korea just as the U.S. has a treaty to defend South Korea.

The chinese recently stated that treaty has conditions. Such as if the NK's start the fight they will not help them at all.

a reply to: yuppa

Yes as has been mentioned on threads here and elsewhere, there is a good bit of "wiggle room" for China in the treaty mentioned.

originally posted by: TheLotLizard
a reply to: Xcathdra

The odds of winning a war against Russia, China,and North Korea? I wouldn't bet on it.

Fortunately that scenario is pretty far fetched.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: dianajune

No it isn't. It's only an act of war if it lands on Japanese territory. If it landed in Japanese waters, it was in the EEZ. That's international waters, but under Japanese control for the purpose of development and resources.

If it landed in territorial waters it absolutely could be considered an act of war. International waters is very different from territorial waters.

Territorial waters or a territorial sea as defined by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,[1] is a belt of coastal waters extending at most 12 nautical miles (22.2 km; 13.8 mi) from the baseline (usually the mean low-water mark) of a coastal state. The territorial sea is regarded as the sovereign territory of the state , although foreign ships (civilian) are allowed innocent passage through it, or transit passage for straits; this sovereignty also extends to the airspace over and seabed below.

Just because it doesn't hit land doesn't mean it didn't hit sovereign territory.

ETA:

It appears it landed some 300 km off the Japanese islands...international waters.

a reply to: Alien Abduct

Territorial waters are different from the EEZ. So far all their missiles have landed in the EEZ not territorial waters.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Alien Abduct

Territorial waters are different from the EEZ. So far all their missiles have landed in the EEZ not territorial waters.

WHats funny is today i heard they are going to send the US a little present. I almost bet you they mean a missile test that will hit territorial waters or just outside of them. If they do we should reciprocate by leveling kims house in response.

They think the US will do like their neighbor and ignore a ship getting hit by a torpedo or some other weapon but i got a feeling that he will be proven dead wrong.

a reply to: dianajune

Sure its not just a Seagull or flock of birds, more chance of that ballistic missile me thinks.