You're hot then you're cold. What gives, North Korea?

Along with Iran, China's communist comrade is a pillar of a new sort of "Axis of Evil," as identified by former U.S. President Bush. It would seem, however, based on the tone of recent U.S.-China relations, that any benefits the U.S. might reap from this transaction are inconsequential - and that any friendly overtones are purely political in nature. As a piece in the Australian explains:

Almost 55 per cent of those questioned for Global Times, a state-run newspaper, agree that "a cold war will break out between the US and China"

An independent survey of Chinese-language media for The Sunday Times has found army and navy officers predicting a military showdown and political leaders calling for China to sell more arms to US foes.

The trigger for their fury was Mr Obama's decision to sell weapons to Taiwan. "We should retaliate with an eye for an eye and sell arms to Iran, North Korea, Syria, Cuba and Venezuela," declared Liu Menxiong, a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

He added: "We have nothing to be afraid of. The North Koreans have stood up to America and has anything happened to them? No. Iran stands up to America and does disaster befall it? No."

Egads! We're happy that they freed the missionary and everything, but let's just hope that's not the shining moment of North Korean goodwill toward the rest of humanity. All these words and phrases coming up RE: past global conflicts are a bummer, at best.