Take hard line with China, North Korea

Does the administration really want to curb North Korea's dangerous posturing, reckless behavior, bellicosity, and intransigence that could bring us to the brink of another Asian war? Do we desire to return some normalcy to the Korean peninsula where U.S. citizens are not imprisoned, rockets launched and nuclear arms developed and tested?

Here's a thought. Ask China, the only country that has any sway with their neighbor because of their economic husbandry, to intervene with an aggressive diplomatic hand. We've probably done that, and even said please, but our efforts have obviously been ineffective. Perhaps our approach is wrong, or lacks fortitude and forcefulness. Have we made China realize that direct intervention would be in their self interest in more ways than one? Have we told China, in private, that unless they successfully intervene, the U.S. will, in say 90 days, cease or severely curtail imports of Chinese goods? That might get their attention.

China would probably counter by threatening to stop financing our debt (which they may do anyway). This potential would surely make the administration back off, or not pursue this line in the first place. But we should not be deterred. We would certainly face some challenging economic times if China were to hold significantly less, or none, of our debt. However, the resiliency and resourcefulness of America is legendary. Ironically, the impact would be similar to that which would accrue from the administration's current economic plan, which would then be dead.

In the long term, we would be better off, no longer held hostage to China's insatiable appetite for our debt, and the political capital that implies, and forced to balance our budget and end the practice of financing annual expenses through borrowing.

But the reality of the situation is that if we were to be serious about playing the China card, and prepared to risk the consequences, we probably would not have to. Our goal of having China intervene with North Korea would be realized, troop movement north over the 38th parallel because of a missile fired south on orders from Kim Jong-il would not occur, and China's leadership and the world would be placed on notice that we have really not been transformed into a paper tiger that values comfort, style and rhetoric over substance.

George R. Kinsley

Libertyville