China will need to be making some hard decisions right now.

China does not want to risk the collapse of North Korea. Having Korea united and democratic on their border is something that China wants to avoid. Not to mention the huge amount of refugees that would flee to China if the regime in North Korea collapsed.

China on the other hand does not want to irritate South Korea that has become a major trading partner with China. China has tried to avoid in the past few years as being seen as taking sides between North and South Korea, but with the proof of what happened this may force China's hands. The slowness of China's response to the sinking has already had a negative impact on South Korean public opinion on China. Another worst case scenario would South Korea deciding it needs to have a nuclear deterrent.

Torpedo accusation raises Korean security stakes - LA Times

Labels: china's future, korea