Nuclear Containment: Trump is Behaving as a Bull in a China Shop

There's a big hustle around the Korean peninsula and it's unclear how to resolve it. In response to North Korean missiles fired towards Japan, President Trump decides to place the THAAD missile defense system in South Korea. Technical possibilities of this complex are strong enough to devaluate Beijing's missile response in case China is attacked.

THAAD is targeted to destroy missiles up to 3,500 km away, at an altitude of up to 200 km. Placement of this system in South Korea has already begun. Americans are rather brazen in this arrangement, proceeding with no preliminary permission. They disregard apprehensions of their regional neighbors, Russia and China.

In addition, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley announced on Friday, that US doesn't want to return to 6-way negotiations about the nuclear situation in North Korea. 6-way negotiations is until now the only and effective ground for diplomatic cooperation between Russia, China, USA, Japan, North Korea and South Korea. If USA leaves, there're no more tools for negotiations with Pyongyang. This being said, Donald Trump calls North Korea "Number one threat". Meanwhile in Seoul, US Secretary of State Tillerson announced on Friday, that USA are considering military involvement in solving the North Korean issue. Moreover — and this is sensational — in his interview with FOX News, Tillerson stated, that (attention!) US might arm their allies with nuclear weapons. This would be to reign in North Korea.

So, what does it mean? US has two restless allies — South Korea and Japan. So is US going to arm them with nuclear weapons? If so, it will first of all be a violation of Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Article I clearly states: "nuclear-weapon states pledge not to transfer nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices to any recipient or in any way assist, encourage or induce any non-nuclear-weapon state in the manufacture or acquisition of a nuclear weapon".

The treaty was simultaneously signed in Moscow and in Washington on July 1, 1968. It was synchronously entered into force in 1970. It is still the cornerstone of the worldwide nuclear safety. If USA breaks the Treaty, a lot will change immediately. Just imagine if China and Moscow do the same and give away nuclear weapons to those threatened by USA, for example. Who will it be? Venezuela or Cuba? Mexico or Iran? Who will we arm in response? All the while saying we don't pose any threat to America at all, and don't even have it in consideration. Either way, for now USA is acting rather dangerously. They act like a bull in a china shop. They don't feel restricted by anybody or anything.

Meanwhile, China responded to South Korea accommodating THAAD, the missile defense system. China has stopped any tourist flow to South Korea along with all charter flights. This decision will take a huge hit on South Korea. For this country Chinese tourism means even more than Russian tourism does for Turkey. Chinese tourists are the largest tourist group in South Korea. Also, China is shutting down Lotte, a network of South Korean supermarkets. The official reason is violation of fire safety, and something else along the same lines. But everybody knows what the real reason is.

In addition, China virtually stopped purchasing South Korean cosmetics, sweets and yogurts. They also stopped hosting South Korean celebrities. South Korean Samsung is also under constant scrutiny. And, obviously, all the the military cooperation with South Korea is now over. In Beijing, they say it's only the beginning. Meanwhile, US President is disappointed with China in his post on Twitter. "North Korea is behaving very badly. They have been "playing" the United States for years. China has done little to help!" I think that Twitter is not the best way to communicate with China. At the very least because it's far from calligraphy, so highly valued in the Celestial Empire — reason one.

And secondly, China isn't the country to be controlled from overseas with Twitter post fragments. The ancient China has its own rhythm, tact, and of course dignity. Just like a well-behaved lady will not turn around to a whistle, Beijing will not in any way react to a some tweet. Or will America decide to insist? Either way, China is upgrading its army, which is currently the largest in the world. Right now there are 2 million soldiers serving there. 300,000 are expected to be fired from the army soon. But they plan to develop new military technologies and increase mobility. The Marine Corps will increase by 5-fold: from 20,000 to 100,000 soldiers. Strategic rocket forces and air defense systems are being actively reinforced. China is doing well in hyper-sound developments. Vessels, built with stealth technologies are arriving to the navy forces. They're almost undetected by the opposition's radars.

On Monday the President of the PRC Xi Jinping encouraged bolder use of innovative technologies in the military. He also added that "it's important to embrace the sense of urgency".