11-20-2017, 11:10 PM
*** 21-Nov-17 World View -- China's envoy to North Korea fails to end nuclear crisis
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
****
**** Speculation grows of North Korea's Kim Jong-un illness as his weight soars
****
![[Image: g171120b.jpg]](http://Media.GenerationalDynamics.com/ww2010/g171120b.jpg)
The gargantuan Kim Jong-un inspects a tractor factory last week (AFP)
A year ago, reports indicated
that
concerns were growing among North Korea officials about the health of
child dictator Kim Jong-un, who had been gaining weight rapidly from
consuming high-quality cheeses, Big Macs, vodka, steak, and sushi, and
who had been apparently drinking heavily and smoking heavily, with the
result that he was suffering from gout, diabetes, high blood pressure,
high uric acid, and high cholesterol. Earlier this year, state media
showed him limping.
Now the speculation about his health has been growing again. Recent
pictures show he has ballooned in weight again and appeared to be
struggling. On a cosmetic factory visit, he was uneasy on his feet
and needed a folding chair, while on another trip to a shoe factory
his face was dripping in sweat.
The child dictator has also been quiet for two months in provocative
actions. The last ballistic missile launch was on 15 September, while
the last nuclear test was on 3 September. Some analysts are
attributing this long pause to American president Donald Trump's
threat to unleash "fire and fury" on North Korea, and later adding
that the military options are "locked and loaded," later referring to
Kim as "Rocket Man."
But other analysts speculate that this delay in nuclear and ballistic
missile testing is another sign that he is unwell. Either way, nobody
seriously believes that North Korea has ended its nuclear weapon and
ballistic missile testing, and new tests can occur at any time.
News Corp Australia and Deccan Chronicle (India) and Daily Star (London)
Related: N. Korean officials reportedly alarmed at Kim Jong-un's drinking and massive weight gain (04-Aug-2016)
****
**** China's envoy to North Korea fails to end nuclear crisis
****
A special envoy sent personally by China's president Xi Jinping to
North Korea has returned to China amid signs that he apparently failed
in his mission.
The envoy, Song Tao, met with several North Korean party officials.
But as a special envoy sent personally by Xi Jinping, Song Tao should
also have had at least a brief meeting with North Korea's leader Kim
Jong-un, but several sources confirm that no meeting took place,
something that is being interpreted as a snub directed at Xi Jinping
himself.
Even more important, there is no sign that any agreement was reached
on the nuclear crisis, which many international observers had been
hoping. When the envoy was first announced, even Donald Trump tweeted
that it was a big move, and "we'll see what happens."
Well, there was no sign of a breakthrough on the nuclear crisis, and
the snub that Kim delivered to the envoy suggests that whatever
proposal Song Tao brought with him from Kim Jong-un was not only
rejected, but was rejected in as offensive a way as possible.
Actually, proposal that China most likely advanced has already
rejected by the US, referring to it as "insulting." At the United
Nations in September, China stated its "freeze for freeze" proposal:
<QUOTE>"The situation on the peninsula is deteriorating
constantly as we speak, falling into a vicious circle. The
peninsula issue must be resolved peacefully. ...
The proposal by China and Russia of a two-track approach, which
promotes the denuclearization of the peninsula, and the
establishment of a peace mechanism in parallel the suspension
initiative which calls for the DPRK to suspend its nuclear missile
activities and for the United States and the Republic of Korea to
suspend their large scale military exercises and the step by step
conception from Russia are the basis on which both countries
currently propose a roadmap to resolve the peninsula
issue."<END QUOTE>
Under this proposal, the United States and South Korea would end their
annual joint military exercises, while North Korea would supposedly
freeze its nuclear weapons development. This freeze for freeze
proposal is something of a joke, since the West has made numerous
concessions in the past in return for a North Korean promise to end
nuclear weapons development, but they simply go underground with
development, and later repudiate their promise whenever they want.
At the same United Nations Security Council meeting, US ambassador
Nikki Haley responded to the proposal statement by calling it
"insulting":
<QUOTE>"The idea that some have suggested the so-called
"freeze for freeze" is insulting. When a rogue regime has a
nuclear weapon, and an ICBM is pointed at you, you do not take
steps to lower your guard. no one would do that, and we certainly
won't."<END QUOTE>
So, we don't know whether the same "freeze for freeze" concept was
proposed by Song Tao to the North Koreans, but many believe that it
was, and that it was rejected as firmly and offensively as possible.
Xinhua and South China Morning Post (Hong Kong) and Nikkei and The Diplomat
****
**** Trump declares North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism
****
President Donald Trump has announced that the US will designate North
Korea a state sponsor of terrorism, referring to it as a "murderous
regime."
Iran, Sudan and Syria are currently the only countries on the list.
North Korea used to be on the list, but it was removed by President
George Bush in 2008 in the hope that it would convince the North
Koreans to end their development nuclear weapons.
However, as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson acknowledged, there are
already so many international sanctions on North Korea that
designating it as a state sponsor of terrorism will have little effect
except symbolically. AP and Daily Mail (London)
Related Articles
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, North Korea, Kim Jong-un,
China, Xi Jinping, Song Tao, Nikki Haley, freeze for freeze,
Iran, Sudan, Syria, Rex Tillerson
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
- Speculation grows of North Korea's Kim Jong-un illness as his weight soars
- China's envoy to North Korea fails to end nuclear crisis
- Trump declares North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism
****
**** Speculation grows of North Korea's Kim Jong-un illness as his weight soars
****
The gargantuan Kim Jong-un inspects a tractor factory last week (AFP)
A year ago, reports indicated
that
concerns were growing among North Korea officials about the health of
child dictator Kim Jong-un, who had been gaining weight rapidly from
consuming high-quality cheeses, Big Macs, vodka, steak, and sushi, and
who had been apparently drinking heavily and smoking heavily, with the
result that he was suffering from gout, diabetes, high blood pressure,
high uric acid, and high cholesterol. Earlier this year, state media
showed him limping.
Now the speculation about his health has been growing again. Recent
pictures show he has ballooned in weight again and appeared to be
struggling. On a cosmetic factory visit, he was uneasy on his feet
and needed a folding chair, while on another trip to a shoe factory
his face was dripping in sweat.
The child dictator has also been quiet for two months in provocative
actions. The last ballistic missile launch was on 15 September, while
the last nuclear test was on 3 September. Some analysts are
attributing this long pause to American president Donald Trump's
threat to unleash "fire and fury" on North Korea, and later adding
that the military options are "locked and loaded," later referring to
Kim as "Rocket Man."
But other analysts speculate that this delay in nuclear and ballistic
missile testing is another sign that he is unwell. Either way, nobody
seriously believes that North Korea has ended its nuclear weapon and
ballistic missile testing, and new tests can occur at any time.
News Corp Australia and Deccan Chronicle (India) and Daily Star (London)
Related: N. Korean officials reportedly alarmed at Kim Jong-un's drinking and massive weight gain (04-Aug-2016)
****
**** China's envoy to North Korea fails to end nuclear crisis
****
A special envoy sent personally by China's president Xi Jinping to
North Korea has returned to China amid signs that he apparently failed
in his mission.
The envoy, Song Tao, met with several North Korean party officials.
But as a special envoy sent personally by Xi Jinping, Song Tao should
also have had at least a brief meeting with North Korea's leader Kim
Jong-un, but several sources confirm that no meeting took place,
something that is being interpreted as a snub directed at Xi Jinping
himself.
Even more important, there is no sign that any agreement was reached
on the nuclear crisis, which many international observers had been
hoping. When the envoy was first announced, even Donald Trump tweeted
that it was a big move, and "we'll see what happens."
Well, there was no sign of a breakthrough on the nuclear crisis, and
the snub that Kim delivered to the envoy suggests that whatever
proposal Song Tao brought with him from Kim Jong-un was not only
rejected, but was rejected in as offensive a way as possible.
Actually, proposal that China most likely advanced has already
rejected by the US, referring to it as "insulting." At the United
Nations in September, China stated its "freeze for freeze" proposal:
<QUOTE>"The situation on the peninsula is deteriorating
constantly as we speak, falling into a vicious circle. The
peninsula issue must be resolved peacefully. ...
The proposal by China and Russia of a two-track approach, which
promotes the denuclearization of the peninsula, and the
establishment of a peace mechanism in parallel the suspension
initiative which calls for the DPRK to suspend its nuclear missile
activities and for the United States and the Republic of Korea to
suspend their large scale military exercises and the step by step
conception from Russia are the basis on which both countries
currently propose a roadmap to resolve the peninsula
issue."<END QUOTE>
Under this proposal, the United States and South Korea would end their
annual joint military exercises, while North Korea would supposedly
freeze its nuclear weapons development. This freeze for freeze
proposal is something of a joke, since the West has made numerous
concessions in the past in return for a North Korean promise to end
nuclear weapons development, but they simply go underground with
development, and later repudiate their promise whenever they want.
At the same United Nations Security Council meeting, US ambassador
Nikki Haley responded to the proposal statement by calling it
"insulting":
<QUOTE>"The idea that some have suggested the so-called
"freeze for freeze" is insulting. When a rogue regime has a
nuclear weapon, and an ICBM is pointed at you, you do not take
steps to lower your guard. no one would do that, and we certainly
won't."<END QUOTE>
So, we don't know whether the same "freeze for freeze" concept was
proposed by Song Tao to the North Koreans, but many believe that it
was, and that it was rejected as firmly and offensively as possible.
Xinhua and South China Morning Post (Hong Kong) and Nikkei and The Diplomat
****
**** Trump declares North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism
****
President Donald Trump has announced that the US will designate North
Korea a state sponsor of terrorism, referring to it as a "murderous
regime."
Iran, Sudan and Syria are currently the only countries on the list.
North Korea used to be on the list, but it was removed by President
George Bush in 2008 in the hope that it would convince the North
Koreans to end their development nuclear weapons.
However, as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson acknowledged, there are
already so many international sanctions on North Korea that
designating it as a state sponsor of terrorism will have little effect
except symbolically. AP and Daily Mail (London)
Related Articles
- Donald Trump in Seoul issues stern warning to North Korea -- and to China (09-Nov-2017)
- Chinese geologists warn of looming nuclear disaster from North Korean tests (01-Nov-2017)
- North Korea crisis: Would the United States sacrifice Los Angeles for Seoul? (18-Oct-2017)
- Steve Bannon and Henry Kissinger form project to sound alarm on China (30-Sep-2017)
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, North Korea, Kim Jong-un,
China, Xi Jinping, Song Tao, Nikki Haley, freeze for freeze,
Iran, Sudan, Syria, Rex Tillerson
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
