Quote:
Originally Posted by komitsuki
But the current North Korean war doctrine says very different from your opinion.
There is a good reason why the current South Korean president didn't criticize North Korea even further.
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Ok, so you're one of the many that believes North Korea is as good as its word. Fair enough. I don't believe they would because I don't think they're suicidal (despite the advantage they gain by making the world think they are). Problem is, no-one will really know for sure, not even the North Koreans themselves, until it happens. Doesn't look like anyone is in a hurry to try it out , so any argument here might be interesting, but ultimately futile
On the China subject. China may be one of the few countries around with good relations with the North Koreans, but I think we can safely assume its all about self interest and not any kind of shared ideology (consider the Sino-Soviet relationship or lack thereof during the Cold War).
China has defended the North Korean regime in the past and mocked any talk of attempts to topple it. In my opinion however, it fears that scenario not because it's an ally, but because it understands what happens to countries, particularly unstable ones, when political systems fail (the fighting in the Balkans, the former Soviet Union, Iraq and a lot of the old European colonies after WWII are good examples). The last thing China wants is a country collapsing on its border and having to deal with refugees and responsibility for stabilising it again (given China's own internal problems).
China may not be a democracy, but its future depends very much on regional stability and continuing economic development, which in turn relies heavily on the import of energy and other resources. It won't be in any hurry to defend North Korea after the excrement has hit the fan. No doubt it would be very vocal beforehand tho.