(精选)The ISA Global Update教学课件.pptVIP

1 Key Political Issue Key Economic Issue North American Review South American Review West European Review Central and East European Review Middle East and North African Review Sub-Saharan African Review Central and South Asian Review East Asia and Pacific Review Statistics in Focus The ISA Global Update Issue #476 3rd of April 2013 Published by ISA (International Strategic Analysis) Contents: 2 Key Political Issue: Is North Korea a Real Threat? Summary - North Korea could not have had a doubt that the international community would place new sanctions on it when it decided to carry out its third nuclear test earlier this year. After all, not only had the United States warned North Korea not to proceed with this test, but so had its closest ally, China. Nevertheless, when the United Nations Security Council imposed tough new sanctions against North Korea last month, it responded with some of the harshest threats against the United States, South Korea and Japan that it had ever issued, raising tensions in Northeast Asia to their highest level in recent years. Impossible Odds Despite the fact that North Korea has increased its threats against its perceived enemies and placed its armed forces on high alert, the threat of a major attack by North Korea against South Korea or the United States remains small. For one, the gap in military power between South Korea and North Korea has widened considerably in recent years, while South Korea’s US ally has a level of military power that dwarves that of North Korea. Moreover, the United States has vowed to come to the defense of South Korea against any provocation from North Korea, no matter how small. This should be enough to deter Pyongyang from taking any steps that could lead to a war on the Korean Peninsula that it could not win. Still a Risk Nevertheless, with tensions having risen so far and with the armed forces of North Korea, South Korea and the United States on high alert, the potential for a cl