Posted on 07/27/2006 7:15:55 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
/begin my summary
Armed clashes between N. Korea and China are on the rise
(N. Korean) espionage on missile technology
Hong Kong Xin-bao reported on July 27:
China dispatched additional troops to its border with N. Korea due to N. Korean missile crisis.
According to Information Center for Chinese Human Right and Democracy Movement in Hong Kong,
PLA 16th Corps, which defends the border with N. Korea, dispatched last week 2,000 additional troops to Tumen, Long-jing, Cong-hua, Hui-chun, all adjoining the border. The units involved are from 46th motorized infantry division and 48th motorized infantry brigade of 16th Corps.
7,000 PLA troops are now at the forefront border area, as a result.
China fears that N. Korean soldiers could cross the border and fighting would break out. There were three incidents of such clash last year involving the Corps' artillery brigade. Last October, one Chinese soldier was killed in a firefight between Chinese and N. Korean soldiers.
Currently, 40,000 PLA troops are tasked to defend the border. The border defense has been beefed up since 2003. Until now, two motorized infantry brigades totaling 10,000 have been stationed at the border.
The center also reported that 50 N. Korean refugees are detained in 6 facilities located at Yanji, Tiebei, Jilin, Siping, Gong-zhu-ling, and Dunhua.
One N. Korean special ops is being tried for espionage. He tried to approach a Chinese researcher for critical information on rocket and missile.
/end my summary
Ping!
NK soldiers will fight China to get out. I would too.
Those missiles can go to land in Beijing as well as the Sea of Japan......
very interesting. thanks, think i will bookmark it for later.
WWWIII is choosing up sides - North Korea is with Iran - Russia's a swing. Is there a good chance China will go with us? And yeah, I know the stuff about how they wouldn't mind seeing us taken down a peg or two - but China's an upcoming power -- they're doing lots of the right stuff and they're succeeding. It's hard to see them siding with throwbacks from the 600 AD - or with North Korea. What do you think?
It could be true.
Chinese will continue to play until we leave them no choice. Then they could turn.
Read this
China and India in World War III
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Front_Page/HG26Aa01.html
The author's view is predicated on the assumption that China stays in one piece and still prosper. If the West and Islam go to full-scale war, the economy of China and India can be hit.
I envision a scenario where every major power is weakened, not just the West and Islam. A lot of powers would be hard-pressed to just maintain control of their neigborhood.
No pay, no food, and plenty of guns. Kim-Jung-Mentally-ILL needs to sell weapons for hard currency. If he can't get his dong to work, he's screwed. (no apologies for the pun).
Things are going to get interesting in Korea. Especially when the Army realizes where the Real power rests. Command and control is breaking down.
So, what's your call on WWIII? Who's on what side - when do they enter - and what's the flash point.
Is China trying to work both sides? Or are they getting a bit annoyed with N. Korea?
Things are getting so hairy that's a tough call. But I believe that NK has reached the point where they have to "use it or lose it".
The country is broke, the people are starving, the economy is based on making cheap weapons for anyone with cash. Their recent "super-weapon" test was a failure (say goodbye to Iranian orders of that sucker). And they are losing control over the army, it would appear.
NK is way past a flash point. It could spontaneously combust at any time, and China realizes this. If it does, it could seriously upset their long-range plans if NK galvanizes the west into taking action against it to preempt an attack or in response to one. I see China possibly moving troops in NK to stop that if they see things get to far out of hand.
Kim's options are limited. If he can't keep the Army fed, it will turn on him. He can't do that unless he can buy food with money from arms sales or he receives food as aconcession from the west to halt nuclear proliferation. Not real viable alternatives. That leaves an invasion of the South.
He may decide that he has no choice but kick down that door and take what he needs under the umbrella of a nuclear response if anyone intervenes. Or he could throw in the towel and ask the South for reunification under the South's terms (not likely).
The threat of war on the penninsula is real enough that Japan, for the first time since it was ratified after WWII, has considered amending their constitution to allow an increase in the size of their armed forces.
Kim is not rational and will not give up power without a fight. So it is hard to tell what will happen. In any case, NK is on the verge of collapse and it is going to be a messy one. They are not likely to go quietly into the night.
We could get lucky though if there is a coup engineered by someone in the military with enough sense to play ball with the south and stop consorting with terrorist regimes. Unfortunately, anyone capable of ousting Kim is not likely to be much better.
I can dream, right?
another 2000 Chinese bank guards on the Yalu.
Seems like he has some good sources. I just posted his article about Iran forming an anti-American axis.
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