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China has told North Korean companies operating in its territory to close down as it implements United Nations sanctions against the reclusive state.
The companies will be shut by early January. Joint Chinese and North Korean ventures will also be forced to close.
China, Pyongyang's only major ally, has already banned textile trade and limited oil exports.
The move is part of an international response to North Korea's sixth and most powerful nuclear test.
The UN Security Council, of which China is a member, voted unanimously for fresh sanctions on 11 September.
China's commerce ministry said it had set a deadline of 120 days from the passing of the resolution for any North Korean companies within its borders to close.
Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-41431057
(Score: 4, Interesting) by nekomata on Saturday September 30 2017, @06:44PM (17 children)
This seems to be quite serious, not the lip service I would have expected from China. Basically China has zero interest in weakening NK, it's their buffer zone, it keeps USA in check etc. I wonder if the threat of nuclear war is really something they consider realistic (I don't) or if this is just a ruse and will behind the scenes change nothing. Now, I don't like NK but I very much like keeping USA in check. A balance of power, even if this includes Russia and China, is still much preferable to a USA monoculture (I'm not an US citizen obv. ;))
My assumption for this is:
- China will keep NK alive as long as they can in any way
- If NK actually starts a nuclear war, China will be the one to take them down. Just to avoid having the US at their doorstep.
- Kim isn't insane (or at least not stupid), and realizes that he is a pawn in a play for power/influene in Asia
- Trump does realize this as well but would prefer to be able to take NK himself instead of letting it fall to China should something go wrong.
So, for my assumptions to hold, China can't really starve NK too much. We'll see how this plays out. Interesting it will be in any case.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 30 2017, @07:00PM (1 child)
I was born in the USA, live within the USA's borders, and like you I am very much appreciative that the USA is kept somewhat in check by China and Russia. Particularly because the USA has far exceeded its lawful powers and has been attempting to sustain a world-wide military empire for decades, while funding said empire by extracting resources from its citizens who are frightened near to dead of its Internal Revenue "Service" [wikipedia.org].
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 30 2017, @07:05PM
this will be sorted out with some new rare earts mine on NK or something like it
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 30 2017, @07:16PM (5 children)
<sarcasm>You know what they say about assumptions...</sarcasm> Just sayin' :P
I don't know about this one. Insanity can often make people act stupid. A a stupid sane person and a smart crazy person will often times make the same stupid choices. In NK's case one of those choices is "Do we push The Button?" They don't think to the part that involves "If we push the button Pyongyang will evaporate in the counterattack."
The Orange Toddler doesn't realize much of anything, least of all what role NK actually plays in Asia. If it doesn't say "Trump" on the side of it or directly involve his glorification he doesn't know, doesn't care, and thinks he's doing a better job than anyone else could possibly hope do with it. When trying to figure out what Trump would do, ask yourself "what would a five year old do?" You'll never go wrong with that, as he has the intellect and temperament of a typical young child.
(Score: 3, Informative) by fyngyrz on Saturday September 30 2017, @07:26PM (4 children)
When trying to figure out what Trump would do, ask yourself "what would a five year old who has not been adequately socialized and has not even a semblance of compassion do?" You'll never go wrong with that, as he has the intellect and temperament of an atypical young child.
FTFY.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by nekomata on Saturday September 30 2017, @08:25PM (3 children)
To you (and the parent), I don't get how you can come to the conclusion that Trump is stupid. Do you think making billions and becoming the president of the United States does not require intellect? Require skill? Do you believe the way he portraits himself in public view is genuine? I'm not arguing that he can't be a psychopath or whatever, but stupid?
Is this a case of "I dislike him so much that I'm not willing to even consider anything that does not agree with my emotional stance"? Or do you, by analysis of what he (and the likes of Kim) have achieved, have come to a conclusion based on actual data?
Intelligence does not exclusively exist in academia, you can be quite 'rough around the edges', have no manners, little knowledge and still be intelligent. But please do not assume I'm a supporter of either person, I'm just looking at this and finding 'the happenings' to be quite entertaining, as well as fascinating.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 30 2017, @08:43PM
You are assuming those posts were made by someone with an anti-Trump agenda/opinion. It could be a case of associating the opposition with drivel/stupidity.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by fyngyrz on Saturday September 30 2017, @11:58PM
Trump "graduated" from an Ivy League college. Keep that in mind, and consider: He utilizes an extremely limited vocabulary which one might be unsurprised to find in someone who has not been well educated. He puts that vocabulary together in ways that are ignorant and clumsy... to be kind. He spells poorly. He doesn't even know which words to write. He wrote that a Chinese seizure of a ship was "unpresidented", for instance; another, he wrote that he was "honered to serve." But there are more indicators than his inability to use English well. He doesn't deal with intelligence reports, requiring a bulleted, trivialized summary instead. He is unable to control his behavior, or his remarks. He lies, and he lies when he's going to get caught within minutes. His remarks are replete with verbal tics ("believe me", "trust me", "this is the very best", etc.) that any intelligent person who wasn't actually drug- or psychosis-addled would eliminate at least as soon as they were pointed out, and likely sooner, since they are unmistakable tells that lies are incoming.
I won't even count the damage the things he endorses will do to the environment, and so directly impact his children, and their children. Perhaps he doesn't like his children. I'm totally on board with that. I don't like them either, at least the adult ones.
Well, that's two questions. To the first, making billions: Money makes more money, and particularly if you're playing with it during a real-estate boom. Trump started out with (at least) seven figures from his father, contacts all across the wealthy, accountants, and so forth. Pretty much anyone can earn under those circumstances. It's getting the start that's so difficult. Trump was given his start. So yes, you can do it if you're not smart.
To the second, becoming president: Yes, you can definitely do it if you're not smart. Trump's not even the first to do so recently. Bush II did it just a few elections ago, and that man is anything but smart. Winning an election is essentially a process of convincing voters. To that end, the party, the campaign planners, the co-
conspiratorsworkers, the donors, the rich people behind the scenes, they all facilitate the election. The candidate postures and preens, and the voters do whatever they want (and sometimes, the electoral college then does what the plurality of voters didn't want, as we saw with Trump's election.)This is true. However, Trump is not a person who came up rough. He came up through the formal education system (he went to Fordham University, a Jesuit school in the Bronx, for two years, then transferred to the University of Pennsylvania from which he
boughtobtained a bachelor's degree), and he came up surrounded by other rich folk. None of that rubbed off on him in any detectable way – his use of language is grade school level, and a lousy grade school at that. He acts the buffoon at every turn. Hence, I conclude without much doubt at all that he is, most likely, a buffoon.I would also point out that you can skip the entire school process – as I did - and end up with a reasonable command of the English language. That, I dare venture, might be an indicator of intelligence. Perhaps. :)
There's more. A lot more, actually. But those are some of the high points as I see them.
(Score: 1) by rylyeh on Sunday October 01 2017, @06:53AM
"Get me! - Roger Stone" Roger Stone was the #1 political campaign adviser to Drumpf, and the one who got him elected. It's on Netflix.
Check it out. You'll understand why Drumpf had nothing to do with his 'victory' over the popular vote.
Also this bankrupt ass*ole had to go to Russia to find creditors, 'cause he defaulted on every lender in the western world that lent to him. Hence the Balalaika (Russian - if you don't know the reference) 'strings' attached.
"a vast crenulate shell wherein rode the grey and awful form of primal Nodens, Lord of the Great Abyss."
(Score: 3, Disagree) by fyngyrz on Saturday September 30 2017, @07:22PM (5 children)
Pretty sure he is.
No, pretty sure he is.
All he has to do is look south to see the enormous political and social success that comes from embracing the values he's so busily repressing in North Korea. We know he's taken the look. We also know he's not learned anything sane from looking.
Kim's as mad as a hatter, and far more dangerous.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 30 2017, @08:20PM (1 child)
Some people think shrieking women, men in drag, and abortion are "enormous political and social successes". Other people have different opinions. Just because someone has different priorities to you, doesn't mean they're insane and/or stupid.
I feel that you lack empathy.
(Score: 1) by rylyeh on Sunday October 01 2017, @06:56AM
So which of those 'ideas' examples you used are insane or stupid?
"a vast crenulate shell wherein rode the grey and awful form of primal Nodens, Lord of the Great Abyss."
(Score: 2, Insightful) by nekomata on Saturday September 30 2017, @08:28PM
No, Kim is acting quite rationally I think. Given his position, my action would probably be similiar. Strengthen your position, make sure you can't be easily dethroned (at least from external forces), give you a position of power in negotiations. How is this insane?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 01 2017, @02:00AM
> All he has to do is look south to see the enormous political and social success that comes from embracing the values he's so busily repressing in North Korea.
To the south, the guy who was running Samsung is doing 5 years in prison. [soylentnews.org] Britannica says [britannica.com]
It goes on with other, similar instances. The South Korean economy, as that article reveals, is dominated by a few monopolistic, family-owned companies. Kim Jong-un, it seems to me, is unlikely to be charged with corruption or anything else. Meanwhile, former South Korean political and business leaders are imprisoned. His personal situation is better than theirs.
In 1950, North Korea attracted (earned, if you like) the enmity of the United States, which has persisted. North Korea is shunned by other countries too. Even China has agreed to restrict trade. Were North Korea to adopt a capitalistic economy, it might still be shunned. If the rest of the world adopted a friendly stance toward the North Koreans, it would still be backward, at least at first. Infrastructure and educational attainment would be lacking.
Were a decision made to emulate South Korea as much as possible, it would be radical change. It would certainly mean massive disruption. Were Kim Jong-un to retain the autocratic power he now has, the perception would be that the change was incomplete or a sham. Were he to step down or share power, he might be held to account for what he's done. The punishment could be harsher than a five-year imprisonment.
(Score: 2) by legont on Sunday October 01 2017, @01:54PM
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/president-trump-compliments-kim-jong-un-makes-case_us_59cfcf9ee4b034ae778d4b01 [huffingtonpost.com]
"Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.
(Score: 2) by zocalo on Saturday September 30 2017, @07:48PM
The timing is interesting though - only a short while after the USS Jimmy Carter returned to port flying a pirate flag - which makes me wonder if my speculation [soylentnews.org] in the discussion of that story might not have been too wide of the mark.
UNIX? They're not even circumcised! Savages!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 01 2017, @02:15AM
I think China fears Trump’s actions may include using nuclear weapons. Even if the weapons don’t directly affect China the fallout will be waiting for China was the Earth rotates, and the flood of refugees will also include many with radiation sickness and those who may be “hot”.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by khallow on Sunday October 01 2017, @02:49AM
Keep in mind that this "balance of power" creates incredible suffering for the Korean people (obviously, the North Koreans, but also the South Koreans). My view is that it is not worth that price for a slight check on US power. Let us also keep in mind that a more powerful united Korea would provide a check (perhaps even a stronger check) as well on US power and would check Chinese and Japanese power too (that it would provide a check to Chinese power is I think the primary reason that Korea is not united).
Sorry, the US is not that credible a threat to justify this. I'll also note that ad hoc balances of power like this have a tendency to suddenly go away. It is not wise to rely on them.