North Korea goes nuclear

While Abe was in Seoul, word got out that S.Korea's crazy cousin in the North carried out a nuclear test. This didn't come to surprise to me, as of late Kim Jong Il hasn't cooperated with anything the international community has asked it to. It relies on China for its economic stability (kind of) and China hasn't been hard nosed with the Communist regime. The world now has a new nuclear country, at the hands of a crazy man. Japan holds a tough stance against North Korea along with the United States and S.K. It is unclear what Russia and China will do now. I believe that the resolution of this conflict lies in China's hands.

China has little economic interest in N. Korea (who does?). Sure a few countries do business with N. Korea but that little business is easily replaceable. China supports North Korea because it is a fellow comrade and to support the communist party. Of course this support is based soley on ideological and historical events which I don't think can hold up any longer. China's economy is growing and it doesn't look to be slowing down in the near future. This means that China is trading with countries it wouldn't have under chairman Mao. Does China really want to risk its economic prosperity over North Korea? No it doesn't. That’s why, if the situation in N. Korea becomes too volatile I believe China will abandon N. Korea and jump on the international bandwagon in sanctioning the nation.