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China 'shifts position' on North Korea
There are clear signs that China is losing patience with North Korea, America's former top diplomat in Asia has said.
Oh, so they closed the border and cut off the fuel, did they? No? Then they didn't shift their position enough to notice...
For several decades, China has been North Korea's closest ally, largest trade partner and primary source of aid.

However, Kurt Campbell, the former head of the State department in Asia, said there are signs that a relationship once described by Chairman Mao to be "as close as lips and teeth" is wearing thin.

"There is a subtle shift in Chinese foreign policy. Over the short to medium term, that has the potential to affect the calculus in north east Asia," Mr Campbell said at a forum at John Hopkins university.
"How subtle is their shift, Mr. Campbell?"
"Reeeaaally subtle. You have to be an expert like me to see it."
Daniel Pinkston, a North Korea expert at the International Crisis Group, said Beijing was "fed up" at the distractions being created by Pyongyang while it tries to focus its energies on other problems.
So Danno is an expert too...
"They need to address issues in the South China Sea, they have a corruption campaign going on at home, North Korea is giving them a headache," said Mr Pinkston.

Certainly North Korea no longer merits much respect among ordinary Chinese, who have taken to insulting Kim Jong-un as "Fatty Kim" or "Fatty the Third", in reference to his father and grandfather, on the Chinese internet.
The Chinese people are right with Rantburg when it comes to seeing 'Pudgy'...
But more reasoned debate over North Korea has been reined in by the Chinese authorities. Deng Yuwen, the deputy editor of the Central Party School's Study Times journal
Sounds like a frat house blog...
was suspended last week from his position after penning an anti-North Korea editorial for the Financial Times.

Mr Deng argued that China's relationship with North Korea had become a liability. "Why should China maintain relations with a regime and a country that will face failure sooner or later?" he asked. "Once North Korea has nuclear weapons, it cannot be ruled out that the capricious Kim regime will engage in nuclear blackmail against China," he added.
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2013-04-07
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=365692