The last decade was rough for the Japanese and South Koreans. North Korean missile launches, Kim Jong-Il’s nuclear program, a rapidly modernizing People’s Liberation Army, an increasingly aggressive Chinese navy—the defense establishments in America’s key Asian allies have not had this much to worry about since the Cold War ended. Things, of course, always find a way of getting worse.
A Chinese company, the Chuangli Group, has recently rebuilt and leased a pier at Rajin, on the Sea of Japan in North Korea—the initial term is for 10 years. This news has sparked speculation that the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) may one day establish a base there (especially given that the area already hosts a North Korean naval base), an idea causing heartburn in Tokyo and Seoul.
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