After the South Korean Navy patrol craft Cheonan broke down on 26 March 2010, US and South Korea scheduled a joint naval drill in the Yellow Sea, China’s doorstep at the end of June. On 24 June 2010, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) suddenly announced that the PLA’s army of 91,765 would hold military [...]

Read more.

It is unusually when North Korea convenes the second parliamentary session in early June. The announcement by the North Korean media after supreme leader Kim Jong Il’s trip to China after three days later the Chinese President Hu Jintao talked with President Lee Myung-bak who attended the opening ceremony of the World Expo in Shanghai [...]

Read more.

 It is unusual that Kim Jon-il visited China twice within a year. On 27 August, Kim met the Chinese leader in Changchun, China. According to a Chinese newspaper published in Washington D.C., on his last visit Kim asked for a Chinese fighter-jet (J-10) for free. Hu Jintao rejected Kim’s request. Then, Kim cut off his [...]

Read more.

After nearly two months of investigation regarding the South Korean Navy patrol craft Cheonan tragedy where 46 crew members were killed, the South Korean investigation team sponsored with technical support from the UK, the US, Sweden, Canada, and Australia, concluded that the naval ship was sunk by a North Korea torpedo on 20 May 2010 [...]

Read more.

During the Korean War (1950-1953), Beijing and Pyongyang joined forces to fight against with the UN forces, led by the USA.  On 22 November 2009, the Chinese Defense Liang Guanglie arrived in North Korea. Both Korean and Chinese media pledged to strengthen their military alliance, “sealing it in blood.” Kim Jong Il also met the [...]

Read more.

According to the Global Times (3 August 2009), in July China once again rejected in Hong Kong the American proposal seeking cooperation to control North Korea if the emergent case (i.e., the collapse of the dictator regime) occurred in North Korea. This is the third time that China has rejected the idea of the “Chimerica” [...]

Read more.

 In the beginning of August, former President Bill Clinton visited North Korea asking for the release of two American journalists: Euna Lee and Laura Ling, who were sentenced 15 years in a labor camp. On 11 August 2009, the Chinese newspaper (Hong Kong Economic Journal) published a fantastic article (the author is a research associate [...]

Read more.

On 25 May 2009, North Korea conducted its second nuclear test since October 2006. About one hour before North Korea regime tested the bomb, the government informed the White House, and so did China. However, North Korea has never cared about Japan at all. The government of Japan should consider “Why?”

Read more.

It was a sad day for the South Korean people when former President Roh Moo Hyun committed suicide on 23 May 2009. One of many reasons for Roh’s suicide was that he felt strong responsibility towards the Korean citizens as prosecutors began to make the bribery case. Well, it is time for the Chinese to [...]

Read more.

On 13 April 2009, the 15-member United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a residential statement condemning the April 5 missile launch by North Korea. The statement notes that “The Security Council bears in mind the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Korean peninsula and in northeast Asia as a whole. The Security Council [...]

Read more.

It is unusually for senior Japanese politicians to criticize high-ranking U.S. officials by name. On 7 April 2009, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Secretary General, Hosoda Hiroyuki, criticized former Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, who was soft in dealing with the North Korea nuclear threat. Hosoda also condemned Christopher Hill, former chief U.S. negotiator for North [...]

Read more.

Despite a number of nations warning North Korea repeatedly for months, Pyongyang launched its rocket claiming that it was a satellite. Japan was outraged and pushed for new sanctions at the U.N. Security Council with new resolution. At the Prague Castle gate, the young president of the United States claimed, “North Korea broke the rules [...]

Read more.

On November 24, 2008, South Korea and China opened their military hotline. This is first and only country that South Korea has a hotline with. The military hotline includes the air force hotline between the Korean Second Central Air Forces (MCRC) and the Chinese air force in Shangdong, and the naval hotline between the headquarters [...]

Read more.

According to the Wall Street Journal on November 7, 2008 (online edition) the United States made a proposal to China to seek cooperation if 67-years-old Kim Jong Il, North Korea’s leader passes away. For the USA, a power shift in North Korea could send hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing over its borders, and might insecure [...]

Read more.

There has been a significant “breakthrough” in the relationship between North Korea and the United States after North Korean demolished its 20-meter-tall cooling tower in Yongbyon on June 27, 2008. Among the six parties involved with talk with Northern Korea, China has played a crucial role in denuclearizing North Korea making the most of its [...]

Read more.