Peter Beck
Peter Beck
expected faces feared mean north piece reinforced ripping shove within
This has reinforced everything we feared about North Korea's promises, but no one expected them to shove it in everyone's faces within 24 hours. It doesn't mean they're ripping up the piece of paper, they just like to keep everyone guessing.
darker moving north slowly towards
It's getting darker by the day. We are slowly moving towards a showdown with North Korea.
embrace north shows surface
It shows at least on the surface that the North would like to embrace China's reforms.
bring help korea north serious sure ultimately visit
I think the visit will ultimately help them bring North Korea back to the table, but I'm not sure Pyongyang is serious about negotiating.
agree avoiding crisis engagement flash goal korea meaningful needed north parties perhaps point
For now, perhaps the only goal all parties can agree on is avoiding a crisis, but more meaningful engagement is needed if, in the long run, North Korea is not to loom as a flash point in Sino-U.S. relations.
activities bad banking beijing china immune north outside pressures rein remaining shut though unlikely
Even though the crackdown on North Korea's illicit banking activities in Macau demonstrated that China is not completely immune to outside pressures to rein in bad behavior, Beijing is unlikely to shut down the North's remaining banking activities.
double held india north standard
I think most of the world can live with that India is held to a double standard with North Korea.
accepted agreed disagree korea member north parties time
The two parties agreed to disagree and papered over the differences. It will take a long time before North Korea will be accepted as a responsible member of the international community, at least 2 years.
act attention continues goes korea missile north nuclear saying squeeze time waiting washington
As time goes on, I am expecting, I am waiting for North Korea to act in a provocative manner, to lash out verbally, potentially even with a missile or even a nuclear test. Especially as Washington continues to try to squeeze them, and they are going to look for a way to get the world's attention by saying or doing something that is provocative.
demands lack peace progress worried
That's a non-negotiating point. It's demands like these that have me worried there may be a lack of progress in the peace process.
inherently likely nature reforms sweeping
The very nature of sweeping reforms would be inherently destabilizing to the regime. So it's more likely they would be halting reforms.
looks page taken tehran
It looks like Tehran has taken a page out of Pyongyang's brinkmanship playbook.
agreement exactly grow hawks people reduce risk status urgency warned washington
The risk of this agreement is exactly what many hawks in Washington had warned about. You reduce the sense of urgency and let people grow comfortable with the status quo.
closely korea washington watches
Any American who watches Korea in Washington will watch closely how it will unfold.