In other news today China has returned to having an Emperor:

China’s rubber-stamp lawmakers on Sunday passed a historic constitutional amendment abolishing presidential term limits that will enable President Xi Jinping to rule indefinitely.

The National People’s Congress’ nearly 3,000 hand-picked delegates endorsed the constitutional amendment, voting 2,958 in favor with two opposed, three abstaining and one vote invalidated.

The amendment upends a system enacted by former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping in 1982 to prevent a return to the bloody excesses of a lifelong dictatorship typified by Mao Zedong’s chaotic 1966-1976 Cultural Revolution. The constitution had until now limited presidents to serving only two consecutive terms.  [Stars & Stripes]

You can read more at the link, but President Xi has pretty much made himself Asia’s Putin.

Supporters of former South Korean President Park Geun-hye participate in a protest near Anguk Station in downtown Seoul on March 10, 2018, the one year anniversary of the Constitutional Court’s ruling to uphold the impeachment by the National Assembly. (Yonhap)

Here may be the beginnings of yet another nude photo scandal for the Pentagon:

North Korea has definitely been the bright shining object of US foreign policy for decades in the Pacific region.  China would definitely not benefit if North Korea suddenly was not a major preoccupation for the United States:

Picture this: thanks to a combination of diplomatic ingenuity, unique personalities and a historic willingness to see tensions in Northeast Asia disappear, President Donald J. Trump convinces North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un to do the unthinkable and give up his nuclear weapons.

While we are a long way from even a meeting between the two taking place, let alone the ending of Kim’s nuclear weapons program, we can stargaze a little. If the Trump administration can somehow land the ultimate of deals, the geopolitical map would instantly be reset. America’s security, and that of its allies in Asia, would be enhanced dramatically, ridding our planet of one of its greatest security risks.  Not only would President Trump deserve the Nobel Prize, but his place in history would be secure—forever.

And nothing would terrify China more. The reason, if you think about it, is obvious. The instability that Pyongyang brings to U.S. foreign policy presents to China a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to achieve many of its goals throughout the Indo-Pacific region. Remove the North Korea crisis from Asia and Washington has the economic, diplomatic, political and, most of all, military bandwidth to contain Beijing’s aspirations across Asia—and indeed, around the world.  [Fox News]

You can read more at the link, but the author believes that if the North Korea crisis is resolved than that will allow the US to focus more on China’s activities in the region such as their island building campaign in the South China Sea.

It looks like Japan does not want to be left out of the upcoming negotiations over North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs:

With North Korea now engaged with South Korea and getting ready for talks with the U.S., it looks like Japan doesn’t want to be left out.  Tokyo says that if the North agrees to allow inspections of its nuclear facilities it’s willing to foot the initial costs up to 300 million yen, or about 2.8 million dollars.  That’s according to Kyodo News Agency, citing multiple Japanese government officials.  Analysts say Japan is trying to make sure it has a voice in the process of North Korea’s denuclearization and related discussions.

The Kyodo report went on to say that Japan will continue to pressure North Korea into taking concrete action on the nuclear issue.  Pyongyang hasn’t allowed in nuclear inspectors from the IAEA since 2009.  Inspections of its main nuclear facility at Yongbyon would cost up to around 3.7 million dollars, so Japan’s proposed contribution would foot most of the bill.  [Arirang News]

pic.twitter.com/RLDSqYnsPF

— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) March 9, 2018

Chinese President XI JINPING and I spoke at length about the meeting with KIM JONG UN of North Korea. President XI told me he appreciates that the U.S. is working to solve the problem diplomatically rather than going with the ominous alternative. China continues to be helpful!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 10, 2018

Freshmen of Sungkyunkwan University take part in an ancestral ritual at Sungkyunkwan, a Joseon Dynasty educational institute, in Seoul on March 11, 2018. (Yonhap)

I will believe it when I see it in regards to the Kim regime’s willingness to dismantle their nuclear program:

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un promised dismantlement of his country’s nuclear weapons program – not merely a freeze – when he met with South Korean envoys last week in Pyongyang, multiple government sources told the JoongAng Ilbo on Sunday.

“Kim expressed willingness for denuclearization, which includes not only a nuclear freeze but also dismantlement,” said one source familiar with the talks. “Now is the moment where we have to wait and see if the North will actually start the process of dismantling its nuclear program.”  (……)

“The briefing to the White House included Kim’s promise that he was willing to commit to the denuclearization that the United States wants,” the source said.

The official recounted that Trump initially called for a meeting with Kim right away. But after prodding from the South Korean delegation, he was persuaded to meet with Kim in May after the South could confirm the North’s commitment to denuclearization during the inter-Korean summit in April.  [Joong Ang Ilbo]

You can read more at the link.

Please leave anything you want to discuss in the comments section.