Why the world must take Kim’s nukes seriously

How do you deal with a rogue state that has not just gone ballistic but has weapons of mass destruction? Blackmail of the nuclear kind has been perfected by North Korea and the world does not have a clue on how to effectively deal with the regime. Sanctions in the past have not served their purpose because Pyongyang found an escape latch in China, which supports it covertly — driven partly by communist ideology and the rest for practical purposes. A conflict is not in Beijing’s interests because millions of impoverished North Koreans could pour across the border. The dragon does not want to be left handling a humanitarian crisis in the event of the conflict as it blows its economic fire across the world. The Belt and Road Initiative is on top of its mind, and a North Korean crisis is best avoided. If any conflict breaks out, the Communist Party believes China will be the worst affected, after South Korea. China is also embroiled in geopolitical conflicts with countries over the South China Sea, which it claims for itself. The scenario is not a happy situation for a rising superpower if it doesn’t play its cards right. The despotic Kim dynasty next door has been China’s familiar weapon to keep South Korea and the US guessing, and in check all these years. Now, the crisis is more immediate as China deals with a leader next door who it cannot read well.

US President Donald Trump hoped to strike a grand bargain by outsourcing the North Korean issue to President Xi Jinping. The folly recently hit him in the face when China did little to push the regime for talks. The UN instead has slapped more sanctions on Pyongyang. The North’s response was predictable — it vowed to retaliate. Same script, same players, same situation. Kim’s nuclear arsenal and missile delivery systems are being perfected, they are getting better. China could be losing leverage on the North militarily and economically, and a joint approach by the West, Russia and China could be the best bet for diplomacy to work. The sooner they come round to this idea, the better for the people of the Korean peninsula and the world at large.