China on Monday called for restraint after South Korea and US troops launched a joint military drill and Pyongyang reportedly severed a communications hotline with Seoul.
Peace on the peninsula is more important to the South than it is to any other nation. But it relies too much on its alliance with the US and adjusts its own strategies by looking to US strategies in Northeast Asia.
If the North has to suffer, the South will be bound to suffer as well. Therefore, the South is ultimately the decisive factor in terms of peace on the peninsula. ●Commentator Qiu Zhenhai with Phoenix TV
“I don’t think we’re on the verge of a large-scale war, but with increasing tensions on the Korean Peninsula, conflict will be inevitable, and the situation leaves no room for foreign powers to intervene in North Korea.”
●Hong Kong-based China Review News Agency
North Korea’s nullification of the Korean War Armistice Agreement can be seen as a warning to the US and South Korea. If they insist on provoking North Korea, a small-scale military conflict might be inevitable.
In addition, with the increasing amount of distrust mounting between North Korea and China, any military action taken by North Korea puts pressure on China, something the latter should be prepared for.
●China.com.cn
It is unlikely any confrontation on the Korean Peninsula will result in nuclear war. Long-term conflict with South Korea and the US is unsustainable, as Pyongyang’s nuclear power and other resources are limited.
However, regular military conflicts may occur since Pyongyang’s statement was an unprecedented direct threat.
It is still uncertain whether the denuclearization of Korean Peninsula will be achieved; North Korea regards nuclear power as essential to its unity and survival, while the US and South Korea are saber rattling to force North Korea to give up its nuclear arms.
Weibo:
@军事and传媒: This is not the first time that North Korea has nullified the Korean War Armistice Agreement. North Korea always held a firm stance when tensions on the Korean Peninsula intensified. Kim Jong-un surely knows the difference in military might between North Korea, South Korea and the US, but is still attempting to force them to back down.
@金陵未醉人: The biggest beneficiary of any war on the Korean peninsula would be the US, as it can sell weapons, while regular people living on the Korean peninsula will suffer the most. Why can’t the two countries enter into peaceful negotiations? Isn’t a peaceful Korean peninsula the ultimate goal? Why are the two countries treating each other as the enemy? They used to be united. They should not take any action that does not benefit the entire peninsula.