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PRC can just turn off the oil and food supply in Winter and Kim's regime will be on his knees.

As I recall they did shut down the oil line to Kim for a short period to remind him who was calling the shots.

What I don't understand, is why the PRC doesn't shut it down and bring him to his knees. It seems so simple to me; but then I'm sure not an expert, far from it.

Thank you for posting this article, and for your analysis.

Yes, they did shut down the oil supply for 3 days as a warning to Kim over something I cannot recall.

Do you know that back in 1993, it was DPRK who cast the “last straw on the camel’s back” vote that shattered China’s dream to hold the 2000 Olympic? PRC swallowed that very hard and blamed the West instead for that because it is too embarrassing to be sold out by an “ally”. Obviously, PRC is still holding a grudge.

I remember Kim wanted to build a sports stadium and asked PRC to give them 30,000 tons of steel. As an insult to Kim, PRC gave him 30,000 pvc carrying bags.

I have seen many posting in ChiCom forums, the general public in PRC have come to a consensus that this DPRK alliance has devalued over the years into a negative assets for China. I guess this, to a certain extent, reflects the PRC’s official view too.

Back to the oil supply. PRC knows that Kim is a rascal and can do anything when he is driven to the corner. If PRC really cut off the oil supply, they fear that Kim will open the border and let millions of hungry refugees to flood into northern China. This will create the biggest humanitarian crisis in human history and no government can handle that. PRC’s troop deployment along the border is mainly to prevent this.