North Korea
By: MacK Czarnecki
As tension grows all around the world many of us are worried about what would happen if or when the small communist country of North Korea attacks the United States or any of its allies located in the Pacific Ocean.
A big question on people’s minds is “What will China do if the United States responds back with military action against North Korea?” To answer this question we need to take a step back and look at China’s perspective. China is bound by treaty to protect North Korea, an agreement not taken lightly just like our alliance with South Korea. Although China is an ally of North Korea they must ask themselves if that alliance is more important than their economy. Why their economy? The United States opened up trade to China in 1972 when United States President Richard Nixon became the first president to travel to “Red China”. The US didn’t recognize The Peoples Republic of China as the real country of China as they were communist, instead the US recognized the Republic of China, commonly known as Taiwan, as that government was democratic and capitalist. During Nixon’s presidency we realized that the Communism in Red China was not like the Communism of the Soviet Union.
communist, instead the US recognized the Republic of China, commonly known as Taiwan, as that government was democratic and capitalist. During Nixon’s presidency we realized that the Communism in Red China was not like the Communism of the Soviet Union. Over forty years later the United States and China are economically bound to one another. American citizens are China’s greatest customers for their manufactured products. China also owns the majority of US debt following The Great Recession. China also relies on America for food and water as they cannot produce the food needed for their enormous population, and their water supplies are running out or polluted. If a hypothetical war were to start between the two powerful nations both of their economies would collapse. China has few benefits of retaining an alliance with their southern neighbor, they do not want to deal with millions of refugees coming into their country. They are starting to realize they do not have control of North Korea as they did with the North’s prior leaders.
As far as the Chinese military goes they have the largest standing military with around 3,000,000 personnel, what they gain in manpower they lack in technology.
Political Issues