North, South, and Cheonan II

When the going gets tough in international politics, it becomes clear exactly who the great powers are and which relationships are the most important to a country. In the wake of a North Korea human torpedo attack on the South Korean Corvette Cheonan, the South Korean government met with China. That is, China, as in not the United States.

Could you have imagined what kind of fallout, both domestic and internationally, would have occurred if the same thing happened 20 years ago? If, during the Cold War, or even the years after the Cold War, South Korea turned to China and met with the Premier to discuss the state of affairs on the Korean Peninsula? So, what does this mean?

Simply put, we are witnessing the shift of power in East Asia away from the United States and towards China. Each day, as China’s economy grows and, most importantly, it modernizes its military, its influence over the affairs on mainland East Asia grows. It is the great land power of East Asia and all other land powers take their cues from it. When considering its reaction to North Korea, an unpredictable Chinese ally, it must consult China. This is not necessarily a bad thing: as the mainland consolidates under Chinese influence, the flash-points where conflict with China is likely to erupt will slowly evaporate, stabilizing the region and splitting it cleanly across a land and sea boundary. So, let’s get used to the idea of China taking the lead on the land.

See this link for more information: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE63T0SH20100430

Leave a comment

Name (required)

E-mail (required)

URI

Your Message

Security Code: