North Korea push will send US allies to China: Ex-CIA analyst, by Joe Hildebrand.

DONALD Trump’s move against North Korea is set to send American allies like Japan and South Korea into China’s hands, giving the Asian giant a “once in a generation” opportunity in its push to become the world’s number one superpower, a former top intelligence officer has warned.

Former CIA intelligence analyst and National Security Council director Paul Miller, a senior US security adviser under George W. Bush, says there is no way China will co-operate with any US strategy that increases America’s influence. …

Dr Miller says that far from increasing American power in Asia, China will exploit the uncertainty around US foreign policy on North Korea, Syria and free trade, to pit America’s Asian allies against each other in a race to the safety of China’s protection.

“Chinese leaders can exploit these tensions, exert more pressure on South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, etc., who are fearful of US abandonment,” he told news.com.au.

“They can play these allies off each other and create a competition for Chinese favour by implying they will favour whomever abandons the US first.” …

“China is unlikely to acquiesce in any US unilateral actions on the Korean Peninsula, and will not co-operate in any plan that they believe will increase US influence there,” he said.

“The US’s negotiating posture vis-a-vis China is weaker now than it was during the previous administration because Chinese leaders are aware of the tensions between the US and our allies in the region due to the Trump administration’s public disparagement of the allies and its withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement.”