China to station troops in N. Korea

[IScreamSundays]

Source: Bangkok Post

China is in discussions with North Korea about stationing its troops in the isolated state for the first time since 1994, according to a South Korean newspaper.

The Chosun Ilbo newspaper quoted an anonymous official at the presidential Blue House as saying that Beijing and Pyongyang recently discussed details of stationing Chinese soldiers in the North's northeastern city of Rason.

The official said the soldiers would protect Chinese port facilities, but the location also gives access to the Sea of Japan (East Sea), while a senior security official was quoted as saying it would allow China to intervene in case of North Korean instability.

Read more: http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/216551/china-to-station-troops-in-n-korea-report

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

1. What's wrong with a "discussion?"

:shrug:

[Posteritatis]

2. Heh, that's at least three degrees of hearsay. (nt)

[Rex]

3. Better yet, why not just go in there and free the country from tyranny?

Might help.

[cowcommander]

4. Kinda like what they tried to do in Vietnam in 1979?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-Vietnamese_War

They'd get their asses kicked, China's capability to wage war is overestimated.

[Rex]

5. No, just maybe a quick regime change. Kinda like Iraq.

I'm sure China can find a lot nicer ruler to replace the Kims. Maybe China & America can work on reunifying afterward. Couldn't hurt the North to get some long needed help.

[David__77]

8. China was not trying regime change in Vietnam in 1979.

They were simply trying to relieve pressure on the "Democratic Kampuchea"/"Khmer Rouge" forces which Vietnam had just overthrown. China's military doctrine has never been aimed at power projection or occupying foreign territory; rather, its aimed at protecting China's borders. That said, if for some reason China did attempt to militarily intervene in N. Korea, the N. Korean forces would likely defeat them.

[David__77]

7. Because Korea does not belong to China.

And because N. Korea and China are allies - they just celebrated the 60 anniversary of the entry of China in the Korean war. People in the US certainly seem to have a bad assessment of China's standpoint. If anything, the new leadership in China associated with Xi Jinpeng coming into power next year is more pro-N. Korea than Hu Jintao's group.

[somone]

6. More cannon fodder

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jksu5DxMK60/TG1_Q9g_5MI/AAAAAAAAD0g/MYwpTe6nCtc/s400/Chinese+human+wave+assaults+in+the+Battle+of+Chosin+Reservoir.jpg
Chinese human wave assaults in Battle of Chosin Reservoir, Korea

[Forkboy]

9. What could go wrong?

[faz]

10. Looks like China has learned alot from Americans

---> putting its army outside its border, showing military muscles.

[Prometheus Bound]

11. I don't think this story makes any sense.

Maybe the writer got it mixed up with a reported agreement by a Chinese state-owned company to invest $2 billion in the Rason special economic zone. There was nothing said about troops though and I haven't seen anything in the Chosun Ilbo newspaper about Chinese troops in NK.

The investment is supposedly for power plants, oil refineries and stuff.