TRUMP-KIM MEETING ON TRACK?

By DELL ARTHUR

           

It seems “Little Rocket Man”, North Korea’s dictator, may have some second thoughts meeting with United States President Donald J. Trump for a face to face confab this coming June 12, 2018 at Singapore. Things appeared to be going well prior to Kim Jung Un’s surprise meeting with General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Xi Jing a couple of weeks ago. Following the meeting Kim appeared to switch attitude and fall back on some hard line rhetoric. This meeting, it may be noted, wasn’t appreciated by President Trump.

Exactly what role China’s Communist leader plays in the proposed meeting between President Trump and Kim isn’t really any surprise. China pulls the control strings regarding anything North Korea does. This goes all the way back to the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950.

It appears what China is really concerned about is the infusion of a successful economic program, much like World War II’s “Marshal Program,” that would bring North Korea into the 21^st century and prosperity it has never known. What Trump envisions is the North would prosper much like it’s counterpart in the south. That would be the doom of communism in the North and free the people to make their own decisions regarding their hope for a better life. But it seems Kim is more concerned about his own neck if he loses his control over the people.

Following the end of World War II, China’s communist party took over the country. It and wasn’t easy. In order to instill their control mass murder was committed to opponents and strict rule of order was adopted. Anyone who didn’t comply was thrown into “education camps,” and reformed or simply eliminated.

During the Second World War when the Japanese invaded Manchuria and into China proper, the nation’s leader was General Chiang Kai-shek of the Nationalist Party. He was a fearless leader and enlisted the aid of American mercenaries including the famed “Flying Tigers” prior to the outbreak of war between the United States and Japan on December 7, 1941. But with the invasion of the Japanese other leaders also emerged. One of these was Mao Zedong, head of the Communist Party. Originally he and Chiang cooperated in fighting the invaders but following the end of the war Chiang was driven from the mainland and, with his government, moved to Taiwan where they continue to live as free Chinese to the present time.

But that wasn’t enough for Communist China. They continued to completely revamp their nation according to Mao, who published his “little red book,” which transformed the people’s entire concept of living and government into one of the most brutal episodes in China’s history. Following Mao’s death, some minor changes took place and finally evolved into what the country is today.

Where does North Korea play into all of this?

With the outbreak of war between the north and south in 1950, China believed all of Korea would fall into communist hands. With that all of Asia would be susceptible to China’s power—especially Japan. The horror of the Japanese invasion of China continues to be fresh in their memory. With Korea as a buffer zone China would continue its control in safety. But then the United Nations got involved and sent troops (about 90 per cent American) to combat the invasion. General Douglas Macarthur headed the U.N. forces and began to drive the North Koreans back to the north. All was going well until November 25, 1950 when the Chinese forces entered the conflict. The battle continued for three more years before a truce was reached but the war it has never ended.

Since that time to the present North Korea has continued to rattle its swords (now nuclear devices and rockets) and threaten their neighbors in the South. Since 1953 the United States has kept troops in South Korea with the expectation of further escalation of the North and a possible outbreak of military action. But it has only been recently when Kim decided to fire rockets across the skis of Japan and explode nuclear bombs that he gained the attention of the United States.

During all these years the people of North Korea have suffered. There is little agriculture to feed their people, the military controls all of their activity, there is little electricity or manufacturing and most of all there is no freedom! Economically North Korea is on its last legs and in no position to assert aggression unless Kim wants to commit suicide!

And this has now reached the most vulnerable time for North Korea. They have a simple choice; reform or die.

This is what President Trump sees. As a no nonsense guy he prefers prosperity to failure. If North Korea continues on its path of destruction then Trump is willing to help it along if need be. But if Kim wants to save his people and conform to the rule of decency, that is all the better. Yet with the interference of China things can go haywire in a hurry and Trump knows it. So now is the time of hard ball. Remember, it was Kim who wanted the upcoming meeting but like President Trump says, “Maybe it will happen (the meeting) and maybe it won’t. We will wait and see.”

Trump’s attitude is baffling to North Korea and China. They are still going by the old play book and in doing so is a huge mistake on their part. The President is a master at negotiating and his insight to problems is uncanny. He can see, or smell a deal a mile away and by the time he meets with whom he is negotiating with you can bet he is holding the winning cards in his hand!

With China injecting themselves into the negotiations this may also play into Trump’s hands. No doubt the Chinese are alarmed about what has happened as North Korea’s releasing three American prisoners, saying North Korea is willing to denuclearize and close their nuclear test sites and continue to meet with South Korea’s president Moon Joe-in to work out mutual problems can’t help but make them nervous. Perhaps these are some of the things Xi Jing and Kim chatted about. But if Kim has half a brain he might want to consider his position in relation to President Trump. President Trump is no Obama and isn’t going to give away the farm!

So, if Kim decides not to continue meeting with Trump he is exposing himself to far more danger than he can possibly imagine.