China worried about coming North Korean missile test

Dotted line is expected track of North Korean missile test. What has been publicized is the likely positioning of Japanese Aegis destroyers. What has not beeen publicized is the position of US Aegis destroyers and cruisers: protecting Japan; in the South China Sea; and, in Philippine waters. Also are Patriot missiles protecting South Korea?
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http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2012/12/04/56/0301000000AEN20121204001200320F.HTML
reports in part:

"HONG KONG, Dec. 4 (Yonhap)  ...Confirming weeks of speculation, North Korea said Saturday it will launch a long-range rocket between Dec. 10 and 22 to put what it calls a "working satellite" into orbit, with much of the world suspecting it is in reality testing inter-continental ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. China immediately released a statement on Sunday expressing concern about North Korea's plan.

"The North Korean announcement is a baptism by fire for the new Chinese leadership," Brian Bridges, a professor of political science at Hong Kong's Lingnan University, said in an interview with Yonhap News Agency.

The outgoing Hu Jintao-Wen Jiabao Chinese leadership would have believed that they had a basic agreement with North Korea's Kim Jong-un regime that there would be no more missile or nuclear tests for the foreseeable future after the April failed launch, Bridges said.

Bridges did not expect the stunned new Chinese leadership to be able to stop the world's most isolated nation from carrying out its plan.

...Wang Li, a professor of international affairs at Nankai University in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin, said ..."North Korea's policy or 'sudden' diplomacy has put China into the corner of dilemma many times. On each occasion, Beijing has to take the blame from domestic and international circles. Chinese liberals are surely offended by the behavior of North Korea. But some Chinese consider it as a brave little brother in view of cold peace with Japan and even the U.S.," he said. WHOLE ARTICLE
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http://brahmand.com/news/S-Korea-postpones-rocket-launch-to-2013/10460/1/10.html December 4, 2012 reported :

"SEOUL (AFP): South Korea has postponed its third bid to put a satellite in orbit until next year, after a technical problem forced the cancellation of last week's scheduled launch." WHOLE ARTICLE


PETE'S COMMENT

First Article - While China shares some comradely Communist origins with North Korea no neighbour of North Korea can be relaxed about North Korea's fiery-brinkmanship approach to international relations.

Second Article - A South Korean technical problem may be genuine but is more likely a manufactured plausible reason not to give North Korea political ammunition to respond. What may have played on South Korean minds is the danger a South Korean launch could be used by North Korea as a pretext-response for the much feared North Korean weapons related missile test.

Pete