US and China response to South Korea’s military drill
December 20, 2010 Leave a Comment
Despite Korea DPR’s warnings of retaliation, the Republic of Korea conducted its scheduled live-artillery drill today in Yeonpyeong. As a precaution for a possible North Korean offensive, military commanders launched fighter jets into their airspace to repulse any potential attack.
Just weeks ago, the North Korean army shelled the South Korean island after military exercises of this kind were held, resulting to four casualties. The South Korean government responded with an angry tone threatening to use military force if attacked again. Pyongyang considers the Yeonpyeong waters as part of its territory.
The United Nations (UN) Security Council has earlier called for an emergency meeting to discuss possible actions regarding the military drill by the South but failed to reach a consensus. China and Russia has asked Seoul to stop the drill to avoid igniting a deadly confrontation with its neighbor.
This has caused a divide among the council’s permanent members with the US supporting the exercise while China and Russia voicing against it.
The US has recently sent New Mexico governor Bill Richardson to North Korea as the White House’s unofficial envoy in an effort to deflate the tension ahead of the scheduled exercise. He admitted of talking out the North Koreans from taking any aggressive response.
Meanwhile, during the Security Council meeting, China has expressed willingness to bring together the two Koreas in the negotiating table. China remains a crucial economic and political ally of Pyongyang as the regime is heavily dependent from Beijing for its fuel and food needs.
