Avenging Lost Face: UN Condemns North Korean Missile Tests
Via the Associated Press.
Key excerpt:
The U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution Saturday condemning North Korea’s recent missile tests and demanding that the reclusive communist nation suspend its ballistic missile program. North Korea said it “totally rejects” the resolution and will continue missile launches to bolster its self-defense.
The agreement was reached after a last-minute compromise between Japan, the United States and Britain, who wanted a tough statement, and Russia and China, who favored weaker language.
The deal culminated 10 days of difficult negotiations.
The resolution demands the Pyongyang cease its ballistic missile testing programs.
Saving face is important in every human group– face is particularly important in North Asia, in social relationships and in diplomacy. The North Korean ballistic missile tantrum cost China a bit of face. That loss of face has just been avenged.
UPDATE: North Korea rejects the sanctions. The AP quotes NoKo’s UN ambassador as saying that North Korean forces ”will go on with missile launch exercises as part of its efforts to bolster deterrent for self-defense in the future, too.”
Pyongyang did not expect a Security Council sanction. This is an embarassment– an undeniable public loss of face. Japan is absolutely central to the UN vote. Japanese politicians are openly demanding a Japanese offensive military capacity to deal with North Korea’s missiles. That demand rings very unpleasant historical gongs in Beijing and other Asian capitals.
China didn’t lose any face at all. None. It extracted concessions from the United States for meaningless language in another worthless UN resolution. The Norks will continue to test missiles, smuggle dope, counterfeit US currency and sell arms to our enemies. Hu and the Chinese leadership will get their cut like always. The US is unwilling to confront China, therefore the Chinese are going to do whatever they damn well please. What we could do that would hurt them is take our business elsewhere, and grab all the oil we can just so they can’t get it, including invading Iran. That would get their attention. Nothing less will.
Comment by RKV — 7/15/2006 @ 4:07 pm
If we really want their attention, we should not only grab Khuzestan but Hasa too. Let’s free all the Shia Arabs as long as we’re at it. They’ll be quite relieved to be out from under their Persian and Wahabbitoverloreds, and won’t mind international administration of the oil resources by an Anglosphere+ Alliance (US-UK-Canada_Australia-NNZ-India + Japan _ Germany), and Sistani would sustain us as we divvy up the receipts around the Middle East as Laurent Marawiec recommends. That would pretty much get the whole world’s attention, and make regimes think twice before supporting terrorism.
Comment by Mark White — 7/15/2006 @ 7:17 pm
It never ceases to amaze me how often people think we should just invade Iran, bomb Iran, stand up to Iran, whatever latest right hawkish development is. Mort Kondrake today said Iran is winning the proxy war. Yea, everyone talks about how skillfully Iran is manipulating the world community, everything is going just as they planned. ???? Excuse me??? Do you suppose Iran planned for the US to still be in Iraq with a soveriegn popularly elected government going after the Sadr militias with multi national forces? Did Iran want the Sunni warlords to be discussing amnesty with this same government? Does Iran want the Karzia regime to continue in Afganistan or the Mushareff regime in Pakistan? I suppose Iran wanted the Syrian army forced out of Lebanon and a democratically elected Lebonese anti-Syrian government in place. Of course Iran wanted the Arab street in Egypt, Jordan & Saudi Arabia be virtually quiet about the Israeli incursion into Gaza & Lebanon (not exactly supportive, but certainly not up in arms about it either) If anything President Bush has been very adept at giving his opponents enough rope to hang themselves. This seems to be another great example. Because this conflict is very much about public opinon, Bush does not want to be seen as the aggressor. He has appeared weak and appeasing just enough. Just enough to let Iran think they are in a strong enough position. This is sort of like our military’s tactic of walking through areas looking to draw fire. We are in a much better position to bomb hell out of Iran when they are shooting at us. Just some thoughts. Linda
Comment by linda Jalufka — 7/15/2006 @ 7:43 pm
Based upon the “success” of UN resolutions over the years to make a difference I have a better solution in terms of handling “face” in Asia. Let’s face it UN resolutions are not worth the paper they get printed on. Instead let the UN assembly face the NK delegation, do an about face, drop their drawers and give em’ a “Moon, Moon, Moon.” After a couple of those the NK’s would begin to define a “loss of face” much, much differently.
Comment by NOTR — 7/15/2006 @ 7:44 pm
[…] The worst news for the North Koreans must have been China’s decision to vote for the resolution. Now, I don’t want to overstate this. These are narrow sanctions that, by themselves, won’t exactly set off panic in Pyongyang. Beijing did not cast this vote out of a new-found desire to be America’s “strategic partner.” Still, the vote had great symbolic significance to North Korea, a nation where symbols, by default, are everything. The North Koreans are now diverting some of their vitriol toward the U.N. and privately, toward China as well.* We ordinary folk do not know why China did this. Austin Bay thinks China voted for the resolution because North Korea ignored its warnings and humiliated it. As I explained before, I believe that’s one of several factors that probably caused white-hot debate in the Forbidden City: China’s initial reaction will be anger that North Korea made fools of them. The subsequent reaction will be more paralysis among bickering octagenarians. Some will want to continue milking North Korea as a distraction of U.S. diplomatic and military power. Others see North Korea as a disobedient child and a growing liability. Their hands will be strengthened by any spillover costs to China that result from U.S. economic measures, particularly a PATRIOT 311 designation. They will also argue that North Korea’s threats have driven Japan deeper into the arms of the United States and undermined the presidency of Roh Moo Hyun, very possibly the best the Chinese could hope to get at this stage. In other words, North Korea’s actions could precipitate the sorts of military and diplomatic bonds between Asian nations and the United States that China seeks to loosen. […]
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