Interesting article on how China sells nukes and other weapons to countries that may not be ready for them (like North Korea) as part of its foreign policy plan.

China uses missile and nuclear transfers to Pakistan and North Korea, both widely regarded as rogue states, to keep countries that it sees as adversaries, such as Japan and India, on their toes. Given the ambivalence of the US Administrations to the Beijing-Islamabad-Pyongyang `Axis of Proliferation’, New Delhi will have to dealing on its own the security challenges it may face from the axis, says G. Parthasarathy.

The author is an Indian official, so there has to be some pro-India bias, but it appears to be a pretty level-headed piece. He writes that both the Clinton and Bush administrations are to blame for giving tacit approval to China’s strategy, and I have to agree with that.

Given the ambivalence and obfuscation that have characterised the approach of both the Clinton and Bush Administrations to the activities of the Beijing-Islamabad-Pyongyang Axis of Proliferation, it is obvious that New Delhi will have largely to act on its own in dealing with the security challenges it faces from the axis. Washington is deeply divided on how to deal with China, which now has powerful commercial, diplomatic and military lobbies across the US, arguing for a policy of constructive strategic engagement with Beijing.

Those who speak of an India-US partnership to deal with Beijing are, therefore, living in an unreal world.

UPDATE: At the same time, the Chinese are apparently “talking tough” to Pyonyang, criticizing its obsessive, never-ending preparations for war and demanding an end to its development of nuclear weapons. [Via Conrad.] Is it talking out of both sides of its mouth, or is China truly seeking to force the DPRK to clean up its act? Let’s hope for the latter. Let’s see.