i think overall, the administration has done the right thing. they have sent the vice-president to south korea. they have also continued to have i think very close contact with the chinese. i think the issue -- for me the analogy with cuban missile crisis has to do with making calculations and with the possibility of preemption. i don't think we can do that when we talk about an ally there. >> every administration has pointed to the chinese as a key player in the region with actual influence over north korea and wanted them to do more. this administration wants to. they say they have seen signs on coal and other things. china does not have an inherent interest in a north korean regime which collapses or goes away and a unified korea that is an ally of the u.s. that would change the balance of power in the region. >> absolutely.