China Sends Armed Forces to Monitor North Korean Border

[SlowwHand]

Now, this has humor to it, if you just think about it.
At least I think it's funny.
Hey. Irony can be funny, you know.

1 hour, 46 minutes ago
By JOSEPH KAHN The New York Times

BEIJING, Sept. 15 Chinese armed forces have moved into new positions along the country's border with North Korea (news - web sites), charged with defending an 870-mile crossing that is often violated by hungry refugees from the isolated Communist state.

Chinese foreign ministry (news - web sites) officials confirmed in a statement issued this afternoon that troops from the People's Liberation Army had replaced police along the border, though they did not confirm Hong Kong news reports that the move involved as many as 150,000 soldiers.

The move marks a subtle but significant change in relations between the two Communist states, which fought together against the United States in the Korean War and still have a mutual defense treaty.

While Chinese officials described the new border arrangements as a routine adjustment, it comes at a time when Beijing has exerted fresh pressure on North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program. China is the main sponsor of multilateral negotiations involving North Korea, the United States and three other countries aimed at reaching a negotiated settlement to the Korean arms standoff.

The dispatch of army troops also suggests that China could be preparing for the possibility of conflict in the region, though analysts said they considered it highly unlikely that China intends to threaten Pyongyang militarily.

"I think this shows that China is getting more concerned about the overall state of affairs in North Korea and the refugee problem in particular," said Ma Dingsheng, a Chinese military analyst in Hong Kong. "But we are not seeing the kind of deployment you would see if China were contemplating military action."

He said the border troops were the type that guard China's boundaries in other sensitive areas, like the restive Western region of Xinjiang, and were not equipped with tanks or artillery.

The Korean border has been a source of consternation for China in recent years, as North Korea refugees have slipped over in increasingly greater numbers to escape poverty, famine and political repression. Groups devoted to helping the refugees say as many as 300,000 North Koreans live in northeastern China, often in constant fear of being captured and repatriated by Chinese police.

The flow of refugees reaches its peak in the winter months, when the Yalu River freezes and people can walk across the loosely patrolled region with little difficulty.

The Bush administration has pressed China to allow more North Koreans to flee across the border as a way of pressuring the Pyongyang regime of Kim Jong Il or even causing it to collapse. But Beijing has resisted those entreaties, and the deployment of troops suggests that it does not plan to relax its stance soon.

Though many North Koreans live and work in China unofficially, Beijing often rounds up refugees and sends them back to North Korea without following United Nations (news - web sites) guidelines on assessing whether they fled for political or economic reasons. By many accounts Pyongyang authorities severely punish those people when they return.

The foreign ministry statement said that border patrol duties had now been assigned to the army, replacing the police. Analysts said the troops would be taking over from the People's Armed Police, which is a quasi-military unit that performs border duties in some areas.

The statement said a similar adjustment had been made on part of China's border with Myanmar. It did not give a reason for the change in either location.

"It is a normal adjustment carried out after many years of preparation by the relevant parties," the statement said.

Chinese troop movements near North Korea and Myanmar have attracted attention in recent weeks. Several Hong Kong newspapers have reported that as many as 150,000 troops have been assigned to tighten security along the Korean border, as many soldiers as the United States has stationed in Iraq (news - web sites), but the estimates are unconfirmed.

[chequita guevara]

That's just the excuse. Actually they are readying themselves to pour across the border should the US invade.

[SlowwHand]

China, who uses their female babies as Panda Chow.
Hey, hey, hey, NK!

[chequita guevara]

Pandas don't eat meat.

[SlowwHand]

Not normally, no.
But the Chinese dice up the baby girls, and put them in the Panda's eggs.

[General Ludd]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
Not normally, no.
But the Chinese dice up the baby girls, and put them in the Panda's eggs.

[chequita guevara]

Pandas don't eat eggs either. What do they teach you in school in Texas?

[Evil Knevil]

Creationism?

Seriously though, a war between China and NK would be cool, SK wouldn't be damaged, and there would be one less potentially nuclear threat in the East.

I wonder how much the US would pay China to kick their arses

[:) Smiley]

Didn't China go to war with Vietnam at one point?

[Evil Knevil]

Everybody's been to war with Vietnam at one time or another. She's a bit of a war-whore.

Seriously though, I don't think so, certainly not anything serious.... ?

[Oerdin]

A short border war in the late 1970s. They also exchanged artilery fire with the Soviets when the Soviets refused to give up control of a disputed border area.

[SlowwHand]

China was the backer of North Vietnam, just like the USA was the backer of South Vietnam.
If that's what you're talking about.


Che, you ever see Seinfeld where George suffered "significant shrinkage" and got back at the vegetarian woman by putting lobster in her eggs ?

[General Ludd]

Is that Provost in your avatar, Sloww?

[SlowwHand]

It comes from something like "Sleep well. The Air Force is Awake" something like that.

[DanS]

I don't see why this can be construed as a good thing. The troops will just be used to round up the refugees to be sent back to NK.

[Wittlich]

Originally posted by SlowwHand


It comes from something like "Sleep well. The Air Force is Awake" something like that.

Well, I too have to admit that your avatar looks alot like Provost Harrison with a helmet on ...

[Jon Shafer]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
China was the backer of North Vietnam, just like the USA was the backer of South Vietnam.
If that's what you're talking about.

Only if South Vietnam and the USA ever went to war.

[SlowwHand]

Study history much, Trip ?

[Jon Shafer]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
Study history much, Trip ?

Only as my major.

http://www.onwar.com/aced/data/charl...ietnam1979.htm

[Oerdin]

During the war the red Chinese did provide a very large share of the north's war material and the Soviets moved most of their war aid through China because the Americans blocked access by sea. The border war happened in 1979 which was a good four years after the Vietnam war ended. As I recall the China-Vietnam border war was limited in scope and last for only a few months.

[Master Zen]

Originally posted by Evil Knevil
I wonder how much the US would pay China to kick their arses

I belive last time they wanted 1,400 gold per turn, Guam, and Stealth technology.

[PLATO]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
That's just the excuse. Actually they are readying themselves to pour across the border should the US invade.

While these troops are not heavy combat troops, there presence would make it much easier to create a staging area for that type of force. China will traditionally cross their boarder and attack when an invading army approaches. This is, IMHO, a message to both the US and to DPRK. This is one area of the world that China has quite a large muscle to flex.

As I recall the China-Vietnam border war was limited in scope and last for only a few months.

Very limited. China pushed across avery broad front approximately 30 mile into NV and then withdrew. The lesson had been taught.

[PLATO]

Here are the details of the Sino-Vietnamese war of 1979.

"Although communist China had backed North Vietnam in its struggle against South Vietnam and the United States, the Chinese and Vietnamese were traditional enemies; tensions between the two increased when Vietnam strengthened its ties with the Soviet Union, invaded Laos and Cambodia (Kampuchea) in late 1978, and expelled Chinese living in Vietnam. On February 17, 1979, some 120,000 well-equipped Chinese troops crossed the border into northern Vietnam in several places and seized control of several towns; they penetrated 25 miles into Vietnamese territory, encountering stiff resistance. Divisions from Vietnamese occupying forces in Cambodia arrived to reinforce the resistance, which was unable, however, to prevent the Chinese capture of Lang Son, a vital center in Vietnam's northern provinces, on March 3, 1979. About the same time, a separate Chinese force reached the coastal town of Quang Yen, some 100 miles from Hanoi, after several days of fierce fighting against Vietnamese units. Meanwhile, Vietnamese counteroffensives across the border into China's Yunnan province were repulsed. Declaring its punitive military operation against Vietnam a success, China began withdrawing its forces about March 6, 1979, and within two weeks they were all back on Chinese territory. Subsequently, there were many exchanges of fire along the Chinese-Vietnamese border and numerous talks to reach an accord, but no treaty or settlement was concluded."


http://www.onwar.com/aced/data/charl...ietnam1979.htm

[H Tower]

I think China is doing this just to piss Bush off. Bush says "Let refugees flee the evil communist government" Therefore, China moves to do exactly the opposite.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
Ma Dingsheng, a Chinese military analyst in Hong Kong

I have seen him before. He's not qualified.

[Oerdin]

I'm thinking it has more to do with the Chinese not wanting large numbers of refugees in their country.

[PLATO]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger


I have seen him before. He's not qualified.

What's your assesment?

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by H Tower
I think China is doing this just to piss Bush off. Bush says "Let refugees flee the evil communist government" Therefore, China moves to do exactly the opposite.

That's one of the reasons, reinforcing border security.

[Nubclear]

ZHONG GUO!!!!!

[The Mad Monk]

I heard that the forces include armor divisions.