China announces sanctions against North Korea

[Berengil]

It's shocking that China tolerates a liability like NK RIGHT FCKNG NEXT TO THEM. Seriously, why don't they just roll in there, annex the whole mess to Manchuria, and execute Kim and all his top people?

EDIT: spelling

[SodiumChloride]

What China says and what they do are two different things.

If the sanctions are weakly enforced, there might as well not be any.

Pretty convenient too given the timing ... *cough*Panama Papers*cough*

[Mihalik]

It's shocking that China tolerates a liability like NK RIGHT FCKNG NEXT TO THEM. Seriously, why don't they just roll in their, annex the whole mess to Manchuria, and execute Kim and all his top people?

If China invades and annexes North Korea they would essentially confirm the fears of every single Pacific Rim nation. The entire Pacific would run under the American umbrella for protection weakening China's influence economically and strategically.

Furthermore China would acquire millions of starving, half crazed Koreans who are still living in the Middle Ages. The economic costs of dragging that country out of destitution would be massive for China.

China has NOTHING to gain from annexing North Korea.

[breadisfunny]

china is just jealous north korea did not list them #2 on the happiness scale.

[Berengil]

If China invades and annexes North Korea they would essentially confirm the fears of every single Pacific Rim nation. The entire Pacific would run under the American umbrella for protection weakening China's influence economically and strategically.

Furthermore China would acquire millions of starving, half crazed Koreans who are still living in the Middle Ages. The economic costs of dragging that country out of destitution would be massive for China.

China has NOTHING to gain from annexing North Korea.

It would be an entirely preventative measure. It will cost China lots more if Kim's psycho-state touches off an East Asian war, and uses his few nuclear weapons once he starts getting his behind stomped.

[Gib Lover]

It would be an entirely preventative measure. It will cost China lots more if Kim's psycho-state touches off an East Asian war, and uses his few nuclear weapons once he starts getting his behind stomped.

That's what they are doing right now. They are economically starving him because he won't back off with provoking the west. China wants NK to go back to their semi-self sufficient state without the whole "We are going to nuke the West, and actively pursue ways to do so."
NK is an excellent buffer from Western aligned powers like SK and Japan, and as it's been said it would be a huge economical drain to absorb millions of frankly dumb brainwashed North Koreans into Chinese culture, if it would even work.
China just wants to maintain the status quo, as do most countries though they probably won't admit it. NO ONE wants to deal with fixing North Korea in the event it was "liberated."

[Annoying]

Wow. When you make your jacked friend defend you against people you're bullying, you don't turn around and kick your jacked friend in the shin.

[Blade Wolf]

Wow. When you make your jacked friend defend you against people you're bullying, you don't turn around and kick your jacked friend in the shin.

No you cut his leg with your rusty saber that you flail around with like a spoiled brat.

[Ealyssa]

They should never have dealt with him in the first place.

All they saw was money but now they start getting scared.

Actually the aren't scared, at all. China can end north korea when they want, simple as closing the border for good.

China use North korea as a scary puppet to the rest of the world. "North korea is crazy and only us can help you to calm it". Nkorea is one of the leverage china use to leverage the rest of the world. They would simply have less power if Nkorea didnt exist.

[breadisfunny]

It's shocking that China tolerates a liability like NK RIGHT FCKNG NEXT TO THEM. Seriously, why don't they just roll in their, annex the whole mess to Manchuria, and execute Kim and all his top people?

because the people of korea might object. and japan. and the u.s.

[Ripster42]

Jeez, makes you wonder what barrel the US bent China over to squeeze this out of them. This is pretty shocking.

If I had to guess, I would say that the US told them they'd be putting a lot more missile defense installations in S.korea because of the tests if china didn't, and china didn't want those missile installations there.

[Belize]

the deepest part of hell was pretty cold.

Oh, I see you've finally because self-aware about the status of your heart.

Ooohhhh buurrr- frrroosstttbbitteeesss

[GennGreymane]

Oh, I see you've finally because self-aware about the status of your heart.

Ooohhhh buurrr- frrroosstttbbitteeesss

Always have been.

[Easo]

Oh, so that's why North Korea warned about "tough times ahead" in their official newspaper month ago...

You know, you could be right about this. It's not like those sanctions were planned and decided today, after all.

[Xar226]

I mean, it's good in the sense that if you're going to have sanctions, the more people who play by those rules the better.

Whether or not it leads to a good outcome is something I'm less sure of. It will definitely hurt the average person--the last famine in North Korea was estimated to have cost 3,000,000 lives. It won't hurt Kim personally. Who the people blame will for it, frankly, it's more likely they blame the US than their own leaders. Ultimately, the sanctions are designed to back North Korea into a corner; to show them that there is no choice but the choice we want him to take. But of course not everybody backed into a corner becomes meek -- some attack.

[May90]

Poor South Korea... When Kim finally kills his own regime by extremely stupid external policies, who do you think will take the hit in the form of millions escapees with no skills to work in the modern world?