Strange but True in the Far East

Now and then, it’s good to check in with the other side of the world.  U.S. cabinet secretaries John Kerry and Chuck Hagel have been doing that this past week – and you might think it would be hard to top the strange-but-true message their respective diplomatic displays have sent.

But you’d be underestimating the Far East if you did.  To set the stage, we note that U.S. and foreign analysts believe North Korea has restarted the plutonium reactor at Yongbyon in the last few weeks.  This is, of course, a move against which Pyongyang has been warned.  It comes on the heels of

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Weird Times in the Far East, Part 3 (Final)

Part 1

Part 2

The emerging character of Russia’s military build-up in the Far East is one that would enable Russia to project power around China’s eastern flank, rather than confront China head-on in the continental interior.

Things that make you go hmmm    

It’s a smart strategy, but Russian execution remains ragged across the board. This recent Russian move in relation to an ally of convenience was positively stupid.