Could a Tariff Be Placed on Chinese Goods if N.K continues its Bad Behaviour?

Here I look into the problems of restricting Chinese trade with North Korea. And end up explaining why I think the most practically obtainable (sever) retribution for N.K behaviour is the removal of Chinese co-operation in preventing migrating North Koreans making “bee lines” for a new life in South Korea.

Bad Korea…
North Korea obviously considers the fear it sends out by detonating nuclear weapons to be very important. I agree. This is especially because the West realises North Korea mustn’t build up a cold war era arsenal of nuclear weapons unchallenged…

1. A Reason is it sets a bad precedent to other nations who’d like to do the same.

2. A Fear is: It emboldens the arguments of Japanese nationalists who want Japan to exercise a more militaristic role in global affairs. news.bbc.co.uk...
Many Japanese Nationalists proclaim an argument (popular in domestic politics) that goes something like this…
“World War Two is so far away that’s it’s long been the first hand experience of mostly dead people. Why then should Japan still be honoured by its isolationist constitution when it was forged in a world so alien to our time?
Some Nationalists go further by declaring “there is little Japan should be ashamed of about it’s conduct (in especially China) during world war two”.
They have been known to cause huge protests in China by news.bbc.co.uk...
“respecting” the graves of Japanese of war criminals (they did things like dissect unsuspecting Chinese civilians alive for military experiments, and even used villages to fill in anti tank defences built by the PLA).

My criticism against greater Japanese defence spending is it would be far better for Japans economy (and therefore the wider world) if it spent government funds supporting growth (e.g. through lower general taxation, or more tax breaks to recovering industries-sectors).

3. A Nightmare Is: North Korea already possesses enough isolation from regular global realities (i.e. global media & trade) to potentially qualify as a future (clandestine) vendor of nuclear weapon to rogue nations (no doubt in exchange for much needed cash).
On A Side Not: Their leader Kim Jong-il loves movies; (especially James Bond’s) (this is true!!!). news.bbc.co.uk...
Perhaps in old age he sees himself as the villain in a movie? Or maybe the stroke “just damaged” part of the brain to do with reasoning? Or perhaps he is going senile? (And this is why the dictators policies so closely match the realities of the Cold War)

Troublesome China…

I know China (a country that executes more people than the rest of the world put together) isn’t exactly well known for its humanitarian concerns. If this isn’t best illustrated by the terrible serfdom in their factories, then it’s probably by the fact they still celebrate Chairman Mao (a man who killed more of his own people than either Hitler or Stalin) on their currency!!!

No surprise then, to learn China openly supplies North Korea with most of things needed to keep their economy moving (at all). In fact without Chinese trade most of North Korea’s elite would run short on even the most basic luxury items (e.g. toothpicks!)
(It’s truly hard for any communist nations (especially N.K) to produce everything it needs).

But the problem is China has “legitimate” (i.e. inevitable) security fears about what a unified, (relatively libertarian, and democratic) North Korea would be like.
Perhaps it’s only natural for them to fear the potentially massively strengthened regional influence of South Korea?
Therefore would be arrogant for the West to believe it could stop Chinese North Korean trade without China first issuing retaliatory economic measures like the deliberately destructive sale of recently it’s purchased U.S. treasury bonds.

Another Reality
Even China wanted to stop N.K trade its citizens would probably still cycle across the border (if only perhaps for bigger bribes-fees?).

An Alternative Compromise…
"North Korean citizens should be allowed to freely “defect” from their homeland into China providing they pass through its land with the sole purpose of reaching the nearest South Korean embassies-allies from whom they can “defect” for a new life in South Korea."

This is because China (as a U.N member) owes some responsibility to refugees (whoever they may be).
And it’s because North Korea has refused to bow to Chinese concerns about it’s testing of nuclear weapons, and because North Korea’s actions have defiantly mocked (into oblivion) any past Chinese claims of influence-responsibility over North Korea.

As a Summary…
I believe its nothing short of international “reality denial” for China to excuse all responsibility & authority over North Korea’s actions whilst it simultaneously takes a pro-active role in supporting (on its own soil) the policies of the North Korean regime.

Failing (all the above) (and any change in North Koreas position)
Then regardless of Chinese threats-concerns it will become necessary for military strikes against its WMD facilities (to be conducted by the allied community)


What do think ATS?