USMCFLYR

On the logic, I completely agree, BUT China has thumbed their nose at the "West" many times and gotten away with it. Witness 1989 Tianaman Squre, the value of the RMB, SEA waters, UNSC vetoes or refusals to sanction Iran and Iraq. They're bulletproof in many ways.

The question is: do they believe the West (US, really) really isolate China, if it stood behind NK? So far, we haven't. Now, nuclear war is another thing. The overall aftermath of 9/11 was pretty harsh in many ways. Nuking a city, US or ROK would be an entirely new level of disaster.

China for the last 20 years has put a figurative gun to the Western economies. Look at the Titan Tire plant in France. New owners comes in, says, "give me this for union contract or it's off to China". The Chinese need to expand and provide for its population has driven many a Western business to the wall.

GF