Posted on 09/04/2003 10:02:40 PM PDT by FreepForever
Informed diplomatic sources said China’s authority is feeling increasingly “uneasy” towards the North Korean nuclear deadlock, as tension mounts. Beijing had secretly made military arrangement according to the N Korean crisis. 150,000 PLA Armies were sent to the Sino-Korean border to substitute the local Military Police (WuJing Budui) stationing there, in preparation for any possible American attack on N Korea.
This military maneuver on the Sino-Korean border was quietly made when the six-party talk was still taking place in Beijing. A total of three Field Army Groups (total 150,000 men) are now being deployed. According to PLA organization, one Field Army Group (YeZhan JunTuan) is equivalent to 50,000 men, consisting of 3 infantry divisions, 1 heavy-armor division and 1 artillery division.
Although the Military Police is also under the PLA, replacing the border forces with those with combat capability has more implications than strengthening the border control. This is not only to prevent a sudden flood of N Korean refugees. The more important task is: a contingency plan for a possible American attack on N Korea.
Once the Korean Peninsula situation lost control and the nuclear crisis cannot be solved through peaceful means, an Iraq war style massive air attack followed by ground troops advance is expected. The PLA forces at the border can avoid chaos and quickly seal the border.
After Hu Jintao took office, China’s policy toward N Korea has experienced major change. According to the report, even if an American attack on N Korea becomes a reality, China’s forces will abstain from joining the war. To prevent the possibility of war, China is working hard for a peaceful solution and tried not to posture herself as an opposition of America.
China and North Korea have signed a “Sino-Korean Joint-Security Pact” -- military aid must be provided when either side is under the military attack from a foreign force. To prevent getting involved in an American-Korean conflict, China is now reviewing the alteration of the terms of this treaty and has entered the deliberation stage.
China has got to convey a message to Kim Jong-Il: Do not expect China to continue with the “Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea (kangmei yuanchao)” policy from 1950-53. Today’s reality is: if a peaceful solution fails, Beijing will not send troops to N Korea to assist their fighting. Instead, they will send troops to close the border. They hope that this change of posture can tell Kim to stay in line with the Big Brother (China) and try to solve the stalemate with America with an earnest attitude.
Photo Caption: Hu Jintao is disgusted with Jiang Zemin’s Korean policy.
For the original Chinese version, please visit: http://www.renminbao.com/rmb/articles/2003/9/3/27782b.html
. . .CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG. . .
It's a war of nerves. It isn't only the North Koreans who may be building bombs, and the Japanese would be much, much better at it in any case - and unlike their NK counterparts, they do have plenty of material. China is waiting for us to make the first move and we are waiting for them. If nobody moves, the world changes. If we move together, the world changes. It will be a fine calculation on the part of the Chinese which world will be more advantageous to them. My guess is that one with both North Korea and Japan armed with nuclear weapons probably isn't the best option, if indeed they have any real option left at all. Loss of the option changes the world as well. "May you live in interesting times!"
Are the Japanese building a bomb?
It's MOAB time!
Thanks. I have been considering the translation of the same article from Korean language source(excerpted from Chinese.) It is better to have the translation from the Chinese source.:)
As this article indicates, Chinese troops are not there to help N. Koreans if a war breaks out in Korean Peninsula. They are there to pressure N. Korea and stem the chaos at the border. They may move in to restore order if the N. Korean regime collapses.
It is also possible that Chinese troops are there for the orderly processing of N. Korean refugees and checking N. Korean military incursions, if there would be a mass exodus of N. Korean refugees once refugee camps are built near the N. Korean border and the news of it gets out.
Many felt that this was an unrealistic scenario back in last December. I thought this would be quite likely. Now it happened.
What we do know the Japanese are doing is (1) pursuing an active missile defense program, and (2) openly discussing modifying several key provisions of their constitution, the ones prohibiting them from developing offensive armaments. That alone will cause some midnight oil to burn in Beijing. I think - it's just IMHO - I think the Japanese would certainly pursue an active nuclear program should the North Koreans perform a successful test, and I think they'd be silly to wait until that actually happened. There's too much at stake, and time is precious. And that's what the Chinese are thinking about.
I agree. The Chinese influence in Korean Peninsula will grow thanks to ham-handed N. Korean behavior, the one who always professes to be self-reliant and independent.:)
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