Perhaps they can now balance their ties with the US with those with China.
-That´s an alternative, but China is iself very dependent on the USA market.
If NK has acquired nukes, Japan and SK would continue to require the US nuclear umbrella.
-I have my doubts if it is necessary. NK has no intention to use these -weapons, they probably want them as a leverage against USA agression and -as a mean to extract economic concessions. Isn´t better to bribe NK, from -Japanese POV
They can't really be independent of the US without having their own nukes.
-Japan has already the ability to buld nukes, but they still are dependent -on USA Navy to keep sea lanes opened. I think a poweful navy is more -important than nukes (well, Japan had the most powerful navy worldwide -in early 1942, it would be easy to build another...).
(Btw, according to a newspaper article, Japan's ambassador to India has recently proposed Japan/China/India axis. There is also a Primakov proposal for Russia/China/India axis. What this would mean in practical terms is not very clear at all. But it is obvious that people are scared by US unilateralism.)
-This is curious, coming from Japan, it seems USA unilateralism really sucks. -But I don´t know if this alternative is feasible. Look that the members of -this would be alliance are all net food importers. This makes this alliance -quite vulnerable
It's an interesting article; it's amazing: South Korean gross domestic savings were only 1% of the GDP between 1960-70 !!
-So the relatively balanced and low (human) cost SK development seems to be -impossible withouth external aid....bad news for 3rd world countries.
Alexandre
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