Posted on 10/15/2004 3:50:56 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
China sends more troops to N. Korea border
WASHINGTON - China has dispatched thousands of additional soldiers to its border region with North Korea, prompting an alert among intelligence officials in South Korea and the United States, says a diplomatic source here.
'Based on the US satellite photos and South Korea's human intelligence, the two countries concluded that China has recently deployed 10,000 elite troops to the North Korean border,' the source in Washington was quoted by South Korea's JoongAng Ilbo as saying yesterday.
Last Saturday, Japan's Sankei Shimbun newspaper also reported that China had sent 10,000 troops earlier this month to three border areas along the Tumen River, running between China and North Korea.
The Washington source said: 'China already has two divisions of troops guarding the border. Seoul and Washington are now analysing why China had to send another division of its best-trained troops to the area.'
China reportedly already has some 150,000 People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops stationed along its 1,400km border with North Korea, with which it signed a Border Cooperation Agreement in June.
In response, Beijing confirmed on Tuesday that it had deployed troops to the border, but denied media speculation that the move was aimed at stopping North Koreans from defecting or in protest against Pyongyang's continuing nuclear arms development.
In a related development, two North Korean refugees, including the wife of an economic official, were to fly to the US yesterday to seek political asylum, South Korea's Yonhap news agency said.
Ms Chang Sun Young, the wife of a senior state-run trading company official, and Mr Chung Sung Il, are to arrive in the US via Japan and Germany, Yonhap said.
Ms Chang has information regarding the family tree of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, it said.
The two would be the first North Koreans to apply for political asylum in the US after the US Senate approved a Bill last month pressuring North Korea to improve its human rights conditions.
Probably they are to seize N. Korean key facilities across the border if something goes wrong in N. Korea and power vacuum occurs.
Ping!
I thought that Jimmy Karter squared the whole region away with his visits. Hmm. Must have just been Dictator A$$-KISSING practice visits.
?......10,000......nothing here,... move on till.......1,000,000
fox guarding the henhouse
That's going to take a while to list off.
Is it possible that China would invade N. Korea?
Is there anything of value near where all the troops are?
I can only guess China doesn't want a nuclear armed Japan next door which will likely happen if China doesn't get the situation under control.
Well, this particular hen is a nasty one. But it is in poor health. That improves the odds.:)
Ping
China needs more sea ports......and..... 'control'..... freaks is their game.....
A Chinese invasion of North Korea could be several things:
1) a preemptive action to avoid a second Korean War involving the United States, South Korea and possibly Japan against Pyonyang.
2) another step in China's Anschluss. They've already moved into Hong Kong and another renegade island. This could be a training prelude to an invasion of Taiwan.
3) a measure to see to it that China is the only regional nuclear power. A nuclear North Korea could lead to a nuclear South Korea and a rearmed and possibly nuclear Japan.
Well, there are many secret underground military installations. This could also be an economically valuable area for Chinese because it would give Eastern Manchuria a direct access to sea. Currently, anything produced in Eastern Manchuria has to be transported by thousands of kilometers to the West to be loaded on ships.
Sounds like the time for some bilateral talks. <./sarcasm>
It is all three which China tries to achieve. This is a big move. China recently made waves on multiple fronts , which gave us enough clues to get some decent picture of what they are up to. I wonder how Americans reacts. So far they are quiet.
America invaded Iraq. North Korea is next door to China and the North Koreans have been spilling over the border looking for food. I would not doubt that China would walk into N. Korea. It would be brown pants time for the south. The world may even cheer an invasion of North Korea. How sane is the leader of North Korea? Does China worry about being nuked by a crazy man?
let the Chinese bring "freedom" to the North Korea....
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.