BRUSSELS — In another move to raise the stakes, the dictator of Pyongyang has just decided to restart his nuclear program. And who is going to stop him, now that his long-range rocket can hit parts of the American West Coast? At least in theory. During the recent test, it took him days to prepare the vehicle on its launch pad. During the takeoff there were once more problems with the liquid fuel system and the guidance configuration.

If this were for real, it would not have the least chance to survive a pre-emptive strike by America or Japan, which saw the launch as a dreamed opportunity to test some of their new military hardware and joint command facilities. North Korea might have its rocket, but it is still a decade away from the kind of nuclear deterrence that would frighten its rivals.

It is China that is most badly damaged by the fallout of North Korea's nuclear nationalism. For years it has been preaching restraint and arguing that Kim Jong Il could be brought to other thoughts via silent diplomacy. It invested a lot in the six party talks and seized it as an opportunity for proving its role as a responsible regional broker.