For these rumblings of war to emerge is now perfectly in line with china's playbook to expand into the Koreas' and 'stabilize' the situation while annexing the north while poising to take the south.
Some minor disobediance maybe, but to be publically kicked in the face in front of the entire world, sorry, there is no way that was part of China's plan.
"annexing the North while poising to take the South."
---this is the first serious talk I'm aware of predicting the possibility of war between North Korea and China. The talk has either been the veiled implicit saber-rattling war noises North Korea has made toward us, OR the thesis that some people has posited that China eventually will provoke us directly into war
with them.. But the scenario of China Vs. North Korea does put China directly facing us in the event that they take over the North and poise to take the South, who we would surely defend, putting us then face to face with China.
But it ain't gonna happen. Or at least I can't see it happening: if China waits much longer we may not be "tied up" in Iraq or elsewhere, and they can't count on the paper tiger melting in the rain.
China can't be too terribly interested in expanding into a wasteland. NK is mountainous (China's got plenty), has millions of starving souls (China's got enough people and money problems), and little else. There no benefit to China to annex NK as far as I can see. It's not like they'd stop the Chinese if they were passing through to SK or Japan.
As soon as the Chinese come into the North, Seoul should move from the South; they'd be fools not to.
If the Chicoms take one step across the Yalu we should nuke them. But the sad thing is, we won't.