Sunday, May 7, 2017

War Clouds in Asia?

     In his 100 days' commemorative speech, Mr. Donald Trump once again talked of a strong America and a great America.  His Administration is going to increase the military budget for the next year by over 10 %.

     Not only this.  A huge aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson has travelled all the way into the Japan Sea(which name is not liked by some nations in Asia, for example both Koreas, who prefer to call it the East Sea).  The mighty ship has not just been travelling.  Even on her way she has been escorted by two Japanese destroyers, which was in itself an exercise in joint naval operations.

     These Japanese ships, by the way, are officially called 'escort ships'.  Escorting what?  We have at last got a clear image that they are for escorting US carriers, to make up powerful air-and-sea strike forces.  The idea must have been in the brains of some far-sighted strategists of both countries, in spite of all that our Constitution says on non-possession of military potential.  The idea itself was a product of Japan's rearmament.

     Needless to say, Carl Vinson has come as a probable restraint against North Korea who has been experimenting missiles and rockets for the past months, and presumably is also planning to experiment nuclear weapons.  Where would you place China?  Mr. Trump has called Chairman Xi a good man in the above  speech.
DPRK to the contrary has openly criticized China for following the US.  Have the battle lines been drawn then? Not necessarily.  Mr. Trump has suddenly said he would like to meet Mr. Kim.  As another good man?  More importantly, three new US Secretaries have issued a statement which called for peaceful means to be adopted as well.

     There is a model called the Six-nation Conference for the non-nuclearization of DPRK.  The reconvening of something like this must be the immediate aim.  China is its Chair-country, but she is not confident enough at present.  So is Russia or South Korea.  The US is almost a one-man show, unpredictable, with most of the political appointments yet to be made.  Japan is simply a US follower with no independent initiative of her own.  A diplomatic vacuum prevails in the Far East.

     One thing more.  Unless the present nuclear powers get really serious with their nuclear disarmament, DPRK would not be willing to talk.