China Sent 150,000 Troops To Korean Border As Tension Mounts

Renminbao ^ | September 3, 2003

[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.

[PhilDragoo]

Chia Sent 150,000 Troops To Korean Border As Tension Mounts

Okay, I see, there's an n in there.

[The Pheonix]

thanks for posting this to me

much appreciated

[snopercod]

You guys can translate Chinese and Korean? I'm impressed.

[snopercod]

Yes, Japan is interesting.

Let's see...A former great militaristic power, now experiencing economic hard times for a number of years - forbidden from producing weapons since the last war they lost...

Remind you of any other country?

[FreepForever]

I don't know about TigerLikesRoosters but I am a Chinese living in Hong Kong and have the access to all communist and anti-communist media.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

I hope the American people can understand that when it comes to North Korea, we could fight a war, and win. To constantly believe that the lines in the sand cannot be crossed, leads us into a false sense of security.

Iraq and Afghanistan should have reminded everyone that we are looking to our future survival, not hiding our heads in shame after Somalia or Viet Nam.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Thanks mucho. And, kindly note my FR post from 9/1/03 which I think you caught:

"Australian PM Howard had secret tapes of China's tough talk on North Korea Posted by AmericanInTokyo to happygrl; TigerLikesRooster; dasboot; risk On News/Activism 09/01/2003 11:03 PM EDT #9 of 14 "Thank you happygrl. And, with a side note to TLR, dasboot and risk, I might also bring to your attention the recent activity by China on North Korea's northern border. What has been purposely happening over the last few weeks and months is that Beijing has moved to replace the armed policemen serving as border guards on the NK border, with REGULAR ARMED FORCES OF THE PEOPLES LIBERATION ARMY. By my sources I've checked with recently, the Chinese regulars being brought in by the PLA number nearly 100,000. This has been China putting the subtle pressure on Pyongyang to quit playing around and making nuclear provocations which China does NOT want to see happen. We are all anti-communists on this thread. But we cannot allow our anti-communism to become so doctrinaire, narrow and inflexible that it clouds objectivity and our capability in our analysis to be able to percieve East Asia policy and paradigm shifts we would have only dreamed about in the 1960s and 70s, with respect to China and North Korea. Believe me, these things are indeed going down and it is not just disinformation by Beijing to fool the United States. They are definitely starting to part ways with Kim Jong il."

[AmericanInTokyo]

good job. dou xie

[.cnI redruM]

150K, That's a fairly small portion of what the PLA has to send. I wonder if that's a contingency force or the whole thing.

As a contingency force, that gives them more than enough time to put togeather a large-scale intervention into N. Korea.

As a stand-alone army, that would be too large to merely close a border with and too small to nuetralize US advantages such as air power and manuever capability.

A deployemnt of 30K or 500K would seemingly make more sense.

[GOP_1900AD]

If anyone believes the propaganda that these troops are "to seal the border" then I suggest reading Sun Tzu's "The Art of War."

"When you are near, you must appear to be far...."

[FreepForever]

I am the one who should say dou xie. Thanks for your post #27 and your pointing out of: Anti-communism with a clear mind and sharp eye is what we need here.

I am a Chinese and also a staunch anti-communist. I am saving my last breath on earth just to witness the demise of the Chinese Communist Party. However, sometimes when I speak the truth about China’s policy, there’s always someone accuses me of pro-Beijing.

[Smile-n-Win]

Let's see...A former great militaristic power, now experiencing economic hard times for a number of years - forbidden from producing weapons since the last war they lost...

Remind you of any other country?

These were not the factors that led to WWII. It was a culture of envy, collectivism, and servility that led to it.

[FreepForever]

What if the 150K is, besides sealing the border, just enough to intimidate Kim Jong-Il into becoming a good boy and not to create any more trouble that disrupts Big Brother’s economy growing plan? Although I am a staunch anti-communist and a CCP-hater, I cannot see how China can profit in this “mad-man-protecting-business” and risk a direct military conflict with America. In the contrary, if China can keep Kim from misbehaving, China can ask a lot of favors from the US (say, stop arms sales to Taiwan). Call this blackmail or whatever you like, but China can gain much more by keep Kim in line than letting this rascal ruin the party. I may be wrong but this is how the present situation shows.

[AppyPappy]

Red China does NOT want to see North Korea start an arms race in the area. The Japanese have been slowly increasing their military while pointing to NK as the reason. Vietnam is adding some capabilities. Taiwan has been looking for new weapons. I imagine that Red China would prefer that everyone go back to sleep but North Korea is the local alarm clock that won't keep ringing.

[AppyPappy]

keep ringing=Quit ringing

[Billthedrill]

Let's see...A former great militaristic power, now experiencing economic hard times for a number of years - forbidden from producing weapons since the last war they lost...
Remind you of any other country?

Nein, mein herr. Und I am zertain zat hass not occurred to ze Chinese eizer...

[Jeff Head]

They may move in to restore order if the N. Korean regime collapses

Sort of like they did the last time the N. Korean regime fell? Of course, if that is the ultimate case...then the nubers will continue to grow.

I do not believe we can necessarily equate this to a good thing. It could well be that the Chinese are pressuring the N. Koreans to stop so much bluster that is causing so many ripples in the area. If they are doing that, it is to the achievement of their ultimate goals which are (at the very least) economic hegonomy in the region...meanig we lose out.

On the other hand, it could equally well be that they are either doing it for our consumption, or the Chinese are preparing in advance for things that they see coming as a result of that blustering. If they are preparing for that, then the impact to us is even sooner and more troublesome.

I do not trust either of them...deception, intrigue and feints are a way of life and a culture for their war making, and make no mistake, the econnomic side of this is viewed as warfare to them. It is a very dicey situation and one we cannot afford to misjudge in either direction.

We must stand firm against N. Korea and put a stop to their nuclear program...and we must seek the aid of Japan, the ROC and the Philippines IMHO in that stance. We must also find ways to apply more economic pressure on the Chinese as opposed to feeding their ambitions with the hard currency and manufacturing capability we are, without abandon, pumping into them now. In the end, China is the larger threat, particularly if we continue to finance their efforts, under their current regime, to become economically solvent by stripping ourselfves of economic and physical capability so it can be placed within their borders.

But that's just my opinion.

Jeff

[Jeff Head]

In the contrary, if China can keep Kim from misbehaving, China can ask a lot of favors from the US (say, stop arms sales to Taiwan). Call this blackmail or whatever you like, but China can gain much more by keep Kim in line than letting this rascal ruin the party. I may be wrong but this is how the present situation shows.

Excellent point...and it could all be engineered to that end from the beginning...bad cop (N. Korea), good cop (The PRC), all to achieve ends they may not have been able to without such a show.

But, as I said, it could also be geared towards other ends. We have to be very careful and I believe Bush and his people are trying to do just that. I just wish we could and would bite the bullet and put more pressure on the RPC itself.

[.cnI redruM]

That is possible. There is an interesting parallel here between CHina taking down KIJ and the US deposing Noriega.

[FreepForever]

Excellent analogy, especially the "alarm clock that won't quit ringing" part. What China is doing now is to press the stop button on Kim.