US and China Coordinate Response to North Korean Rocket Launch

[Conley]

China and the US have agreed to co-ordinate their response to any "potential provocation" if North Korea goes ahead with a planned rocket launch, the White House says.

North Korea says the long-range rocket will carry a satellite. The US says any launch would violate UN resolutions and be a missile test.

US President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao met on the margins of a nuclear summit in South Korea.

The launch is scheduled for April.

Its timing - between 12 and 16 April - is intended to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of North Korea's late Great Leader Kim Il-sung.

'Destabilising'
The White House said Mr Hu indicated to Mr Obama that he was taking the North Korean issue very seriously and was registering China's concern with the government in Pyongyang.

"We both have an interest in making sure that international norms surrounding non-proliferation, preventing destabilising nuclear weapons, is very important," Mr Obama said ahead of the meeting.

But a US national security official cast doubt on any change in Chinese policy, the Associated Press reported.

"China has expressed those concerns before and North Korea has continued on with its behaviour," deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes said, according to AP.

"Therefore, China needs to look at whether it needs to be doing more above and beyond the types of messages and warnings it's been giving to the North Koreans."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17509349

It will be interesting to see if North Korea's new leader bows to Chinese pressure or continues the practices of his father.

[MMC]

I thought there was some power stuggle going on in China. Although if the N.Koreans were going to hide anything. Then why did they Contact all of the World of Media and invite reporters from all around the World to this launch. What makes this launch illegal to put up a satellite in space. Not that I am sticking up for the N. Koreans or anything.

I mean as another Country that wants to take on that Space Race. What makes that Illegal to do? I mean if I was the Leader of another country and Obama said you best not launch that rocket. I would tell him to kiss my Azz, and to STFU. Course I would do it so that the Whole World of Media picks it up. Just for the the treasured look on Obama's face. Then at the End I would be like, Now do you understand the Words coming out my mouth. Jump biznitch! I would humilate the $#@! non-stop!

[RollingWave]

China is in the process of power handover yes, and that's rarely been a easy or peaceful process, the last time this happened (From Jiang Zhe Ming and crew to Hu Jin Tao ) was about the only time it happened peacefully, so they obviously don't want trouble at this point.

Having said that, I agree with MMC that it's odd that they're not allowing the North Koreans to launch sattelites, I'm not aware of any treaty / agreements that should bind a country from doing so....

[MMC]

Thanks RW.....I didn't know if there was but I didn't see anything in the UN on it.

[RollingWave]

Woops, that didn't go well....

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/04/12/wo...html?hpt=hp_t1

Pyongyang, North Korea (CNN) -- Defying warnings from the international community, North Korea launched a long-range rocket on Friday, but it broke apart before escaping the earth's atmosphere and fell into the sea, officials said.
"It flew about a minute, and it flew into the ocean," said Noriyuki Shikata, a spokesman for Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda. He added that Japanese authorities "have not identified any negative impacts, so far," though he said the international ramifications could be significant. "This is something that we think is a regrettable development," he said.
Joseph Cirincione, president of the global security foundation The Ploughshares Fund, told CNN that the launch's apparent failure "shows the weakness of the North Korea missile program" and suggests that the threat from North Korea has been "exaggerated."
"It's a humiliation," he told CNN. "I wouldn't want to be a North Korean rocket scientist today."

[Conley]

I was just going to check on that story. Thanks RW. This is why I have no confidence in their predicted flight path. I'm just glad no one was hurt (besides egos ).

[Peter1469]

Performance anxiety?

[RollingWave]

I was just going to check on that story. Thanks RW. This is why I have no confidence in their predicted flight path. I'm just glad no one was hurt (besides egos ).

I'm pretty sure at least a few guys will be hurt pretty badly in North Korea though.....

[Conley]

I'm pretty sure at least a few guys will be hurt pretty badly in North Korea though.....

Good point. I'm just glad it didn't break up over occupied land.

[MMC]

I see they failed again.....huh?