Is North Korea running out of bridges to burn?:

North Korea may bring the date of a planned nuclear test forward after a contentious remark by China’s U.N. ambassador angered generals in the reclusive country, a source with close ties to Pyongyang said on Sunday.

U.S. envoy John Bolton said last week that while Britain, France and Japan had made clear a strong statement was needed to warn Pyongyang against testing, he was not certain “what North Korea’s protectors on the (U.N. Security) Council are going to do”.

In response, Chinese Ambassador Wang Guangya said: “I’m not sure which country he is referring to, but I think that for bad behavior in this world no one is going to protect them.”

Wang’s remark riled North Korean generals who bristled at the notion of needing China’s protection and urged their leader, Kim Jong-il, to bring the test date forward, said the source who requested anonymity.

“North Korea is especially unhappy with China,” the source told Reuters after speaking with senior North Korean officials.

“This is chauvinism. North Korea does not need Chinese protection. North Korea is no longer a dependency,” the source cited the North Koreans as saying.

Korea was a Chinese protectorate for several centuries until Japan seized it as a colony in 1910.

If true this will be a true turning point in Chinese policy if China turns it’s back on North Korea. That would leave North Korea ironically with it’s only ally who is at the same time officially it’s sworn enemy, South Korea. If China decides to cut back on aid to North Korea in response to a nuclear test than President Roh better get the pocket book out because the South Korean tax payers will be making up for the shortage.

I think China originally was just hoping to keep North Korea issue quiet until at least after the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but it appears North Korea is determined to get a deal done over it’s nuclear program before the Olympics. This is a sign that the US financial sanctions are hitting North Korea hard if the North Koreans are even breaking ranks with the Chinese over their nuclear program. I think it is also a sign that domestic politics within North Korea concerning the military is all playing a factor in the current crisis since the military is willing to denounce the Chinese in order to conduct a nuclear test.

Also I have to say that Ambassador Bolton is doing a great job as the United States’ UN Ambassador because not only did he get a Security Council Resolution with teeth in it passed after the NK missile tests in July, but now he has even gotten the Chinese and the North Koreans at odds against each other. Plus I wouldn’t be surprised if he cut a deal with the South Koreans where the US would support Ban Ki-moon’s UN Security General nomination if the South Koreans took tougher actions against the North after any possible nuclear test. Just a theory but I think it’s plausible. Once again I think Bolton has been doing great and just think he probably won’t be the ambassador to much longer because the Democrats seemed determined to sink his nomination. It is sad that petty politics will probably cause a quality guy like Bolton to get sacked from this important position simply because they hate President Bush.

Oh a quick note, I wonder if VANK will take note of the Korea was a Chinese protectorate for many centuries comment at the end of the article?