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2004-10-12 China-Japan-Koreas
China moves 30,000 troops to N. Korean border
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Posted by Mark Espinola 2004-10-12 3:25:33 PM|| || Front Page|| [11135 views since 2007-05-07]  Top

#1 Dibbs on the popcorn concession.

In all seriousness, I hope hundreds of thousands of NorK refugees somehow make it to freedom, in spite of the ChiComs and their looney-tunes "leader."
Posted by Barbara Skolaut  2004-10-12 3:28:21 PM||   2004-10-12 3:28:21 PM|| Front Page Top

#2 The North Korean army has also dispatched elite forces along the border in response to China’s deployment

"Elite" in this context means "not quite as hungry as the regular troops".
Posted by BH 2004-10-12 3:40:00 PM||   2004-10-12 3:40:00 PM|| Front Page Top

#3 Elite actually meaning those whose digestive systems can handle tree bark better than others.
Posted by Dreadnought 2004-10-12 3:55:03 PM||   2004-10-12 3:55:03 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 Well, at least the US quit giving the Norks aid of any type (except 60,000 tons of wheat or something recently). The sooner the Norks fall, the quicker the people can be rescued from their horrible fate at the hands of the Nork leaders.
Posted by Alaska Paul 2004-10-12 4:33:21 PM||   2004-10-12 4:33:21 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 The report also raised that possibility the deployment was in response to preparations against a possible civil war in North Korea over who would be the country’s next leader. I didn't realize the leadership position was in play.
Posted by trailing wife 2004-10-12 4:34:13 PM||   2004-10-12 4:34:13 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 I don't believe these "reasons" for a minute. I think that tensions are sky high between the two over the Nork development of nukes, and refusal to bow before China's demand to cut that crap out. As a model, I would look to the China-Vietnam spat in 1979. Except this time, the stakes are much higher.
Posted by Anonymoose 2004-10-12 4:40:56 PM||   2004-10-12 4:40:56 PM|| Front Page Top

#7 I guess that vacation in Shenyang isn't lookin' too good, huh?
Posted by mojo  2004-10-12 4:46:54 PM||   2004-10-12 4:46:54 PM|| Front Page Top

#8 One would hope that this isn't 1979 come again. The Vietnamese kicked Chinese ass. I don't think we need a victorious, starving North Korea straddling the Yalu.
Posted by Mitch H.  2004-10-12 4:56:06 PM|| [http://blogfonte.blogspot.com/]  2004-10-12 4:56:06 PM|| Front Page Top

#9 China v North Korea take China's attention off Taiwan for a while.

This probably is just to deal with the refugee situation, though the bit about the "next leader/civil war" in NK is interesting.
Posted by Laurence of the Rats  2004-10-12 5:05:04 PM|| [http://www.punictreachery.com/]  2004-10-12 5:05:04 PM|| Front Page Top

#10 Remember that the Vietnamese in 1979 had a battle hardened, resolute corps of soldiers. What do the Norks have? A Maginot line facing south and 2 million starved pointed stick carriers. The Chinese have a huge surplus of pointed stick carriers and traditionally is willing to expend them at truly Asiatic rates to make a point. What could it easily deploy against the Norks? 4 million?
Posted by Anonymoose 2004-10-12 5:58:06 PM||   2004-10-12 5:58:06 PM|| Front Page Top

#11 What they really mean:

China is concerned about the possibility that armed North Korean troops might escape due to food shortage and assault homes and eat citizens in local cities bordering the North

..... preparations against a possible civil war in North Korea over who would be the country’s next leader dinner.

Frozen Yalu river - oh, good - nutritious ice cube and sawdust sandwiches = mmm, mmm good......
Posted by Lone Ranger 2004-10-12 6:25:13 PM||   2004-10-12 6:25:13 PM|| Front Page Top

#12 60000 tons of wheat shouldn't have been givin too them either. Let China feed their asses
Posted by smokeysinse 2004-10-12 6:28:31 PM||   2004-10-12 6:28:31 PM|| Front Page Top

#13 I don't think we need a victorious, starving North Korea straddling the Yalu.

Straddling a river is a good way to find out that the other guy has a hell of a lot more troops than you.

Seriously, unless they (God forbid) went nuclear, there's no way the NorKs could stand against the Chinese. How much fuel do they have? I'd bet they have a week or two -- a month on the outside -- for their army, but that's assuming they're willing to burn through it all and leave the DMZ immobilized.
Posted by Robert Crawford  2004-10-12 6:51:04 PM|| [http://www.kloognome.com/]  2004-10-12 6:51:04 PM|| Front Page Top

#14 I didn't realize the leadership position was in play.

There have been rumors that a portion of the NK military leadership is unhappy with Kim-Jung-Il. Initial news reports shortly after the train explosion mentioned this.

The civil war is a remote, very remote possibility. 30K PLA troops sounds more like a border guard, and NK elite troops coming north might be to squelch defections.
Posted by Pappy 2004-10-12 8:23:19 PM||   2004-10-12 8:23:19 PM|| Front Page Top

#15 RC,the scary thought is if China starts overrunning N.Korea the S.Koreans get involved.

China most likely sent troops to border based on some credible urgent info.(The NBA has sent 2 teams for a couple of exhibition games this week,so I doubt China is doing anything preplanned.)The action does raise questions about the new top Chinese military leadership.Is the new guy panicking,or trying to show he's strong?Or is he letting his generals run things?

As KJI is supposed to be paranoid,if the Chinese put troops on his border,I would think he would want to put reliable troops opposite them.
Posted by Stephen 2004-10-12 10:30:48 PM||   2004-10-12 10:30:48 PM|| Front Page Top

#16 This report appears to be straight up - and good news for the good guys. This will be a long cold hungry winter for the axis of evil. I guess hell will freeze over.
Posted by JP 2004-10-12 10:40:48 PM||   2004-10-12 10:40:48 PM|| Front Page Top

#17 This is all the result of Kim's portrayal as a poofy haired idjit with a lisp and Harry Caray glasses in Team America - World Police. That portrayal isn't true. He's not really a marionette
Posted by Frank G  2004-10-12 10:58:10 PM||   2004-10-12 10:58:10 PM|| Front Page Top

#18 I think that tensions are sky high between the two over the Nork development of nukes, and refusal to bow before China's demand to cut that crap out.

I wouldn't bet a plug nickel on China wanting North Korea "to cut that crap out." Kim's nuclear posturing is exactly what the Chinese want, and always have wanted, as a drain on American resources in the region.

...the scary thought is if China starts overrunning N.Korea the S.Koreans get involved.

This is a lot closer to the truth. There is no way in frozen hell that China wants a reunited and more powerful Korea perched on their border. The politburo would sooner annex North Korea than allow the South to claim a single rice paddy from across the DMZ.

China only does what is good for China. Attributing even the least sort of magnanimous intentions to the communists is worse than stupid. North Korea has always been China's Rotweiller. Lately, feeding their rabid pet has become a slight strain so they are merely getting ready to clean its cage and replace the current occupant with another trained lap dog.
Posted by Zenster 2004-10-12 11:41:54 PM||   2004-10-12 11:41:54 PM|| Front Page Top

#19 Big thing is that China does not want any Nork refugees coming over the border and hosing up the CHinese economy.
Posted by OldSpook 2004-10-12 11:55:22 PM||   2004-10-12 11:55:22 PM|| Front Page Top

#20 aack! Popcorn indeed!!

China only does what is good for China. Attributing even the least sort of magnanimous intentions to the communists is worse than stupid
I'll buy that.

Big thing is that China does not want any Nork refugees coming over the border
That seems to be what is driving their self-interest.

I like Kettle Korn.
Posted by 2b 2004-10-13 4:22:47 AM||   2004-10-13 4:22:47 AM|| Front Page Top

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