[tacticalogic]

I've read that NK presents a huge problem for China in the form of the civilian population. If the regime collapses China will be faced with a flood of refugees that physically marginal, psychological basket cases.

China may figure a little war might reduce the size of the problem for them.

[TigerLikesRooster]

While I agree that refugees will escape and provide headaches with China, I think its impact is exaggerated by Chinese regime. N.E. China has over 100 million population. It won't crash the economy in that area, which China claims.

They are just more concerned with damage to their geopolitical calculus. If it benefits them geopolitically, they will waste no time to take refugees. It will make good PR, too. China use to support defeated Khmer Rouge to keep pressure on Viet Nam after their invasion led to disastrous defeat. If they supported genocidal Khmer Rouge for strategic reason, what not do the same for N. Korea?

[fso301]

I've read that NK presents a huge problem for China in the form of the civilian population. If the regime collapses China will be faced with a flood of refugees that physically marginal, psychological basket cases.

I think this is an excuse advanced by the left to explain away Chinese support for NK.

When you think about it, NK has 25 million people of which only a percentage are close enough to the Chinese border to present China with a potential refugee problem

If tens of millions can be fed in the aftermath of the Indian Ocean tsunami, China, a nation 1.25 billion or so can easily handle 5 million refugees.