# Why is China moving troops to the Korean border? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 4, 2013, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-china-moving-troops-to-the-korean-border/654855 "2013-04-04T20:41:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![David\_H\_Singanas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac8455/32.png) [@David\_H\_Singanas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_H_Singanas)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-china-moving-troops-to-the-korean-border/654855/41 "2013-04-09T04:08:24Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > It would only happen as a last resort. And there would be no “Chinese governor” - only a North Korean puppet, just like the Russians did in Eastern Europe. > The interesting question is how well have the Chinese infiltrated the North Korean military? I’m sure it is riddled with spied reporting to the Chinese, but do the Chinese control enough senior military people to pull off a coup if needed? And what percent of the military is fanatically pro-regime? They would have to be to fight a coup with a massive Chinese troop presence on the border. “Monty” and “Even Sven” are long on negativity and short on ideas for China options. I chuckle that Sven has said “China is not interested [in régime change].” Does he have a seat next to Xi Jinping ? I agree with your inference that China has its contacts within the DPRK military. I don’t predict an army of occupation or a “puppet” régime unless and until a DPRK nuclear warhead detonates over China, Russia, South Korea or Japan. Of course the North Koreans can claim that such an event is “accidental” and the result of faulty electronics. If China does not react to that, then world opinion would support foreign intervention in North Korea. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-china-moving-troops-to-the-korean-border/654855/42 "2013-04-09T04:44:21Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > My impression has been that there has been, and continues to be, a real affection for North Korea in China. No doubt. But, what does that actually mean in Chinese politics? ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-china-moving-troops-to-the-korean-border/654855/43 "2013-04-09T06:01:49Z")
Good grief. What is it with April this year? We’re having a veritable bounty of people who don’t know what they’re talking about. > [@David\_H\_Singanas](#): > > “Monty” and “Even Sven” are long on negativity and short on ideas for China > options. I chuckle that Sven has said “China is not interested [in régime change].” > Does he have a seat next to Xi Jinping ? Every single day here in China, the news talks about how the new regime in China (if you know the new guy’s name, you really should know that he’s the new guy here) isn’t interested at all in change in North Korea. What the PRC government is interested in, and has evidenced time and time again, is stability on the Korean peninsula. The PRC government continues with its tried-and-true (well, to them) methods of diplomacy and return of fugitive refugees, both tactics intended to not make the current regime in North Korea pissed off at their last real friend in the world. > [@](#): > > I agree with your inference that China has its contacts within the DPRK military. Why on Earth would the PRC not have contacts with the KPA? The two governments aren’t exactly unacquainted with each other. If you’re referring to spies in the KPA, well, that’s an interesting idea. The language in North Korea is not the same as that used in China’s Korean provinces, the culture is decidedly different, and getting into the KPA is a bit more complicated than saying, “Hey, take me!” The DPRK screens folks using that most un-Communist method of determining status and if you’re status isn’t up to snuff, neither are you. > [@](#): > > I don’t predict an army of occupation or a “puppet” régime unless and until a DPRK > nuclear warhead detonates over China, Russia, South Korea or Japan. Yeah. An army of occupation in a territory whose people don’t want any foreign government at all. Just look at how well the PRC government is doing in Tibet. Oh, let’s not forget how pissed off Koreans, of either Northern or Souther persuasion, _still_ are at Japan for that country’s little endeavor on the Peninsula early last century. > [@](#): > > Of course the North Koreans can claim that such an event is “accidental” and the > result of faulty electronics. If China does not react to that, then world opinion > would support foreign intervention in North Korea. The rest of the world doesn’t seem to support the dude (well, it’s likely his aunt and her hubby) in power now. Notice how well that’s doing on getting change on the upper side of 38? I swear, April, young lass, you need to be a tad more selective. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-china-moving-troops-to-the-korean-border/654855/44 "2013-04-09T16:01:31Z")
It also may be that they don’t have a specific plan, but with tensions ratcheting up on the peninsula they think that this area is the most likely place for China to need a military presence in the near future. So it’s a good idea to have some troops there just in case. Better to have troops on hand and not need them than to need them and not have them. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-china-moving-troops-to-the-korean-border/654855/45 "2013-04-10T01:00:29Z")
It’s hard to parse what is even really going on with Chinese troops. Some [live ammunition drills](http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/apr/8/china-conducts-live-fire-military-drills-near-nort/) near the border but overall [no major military posturing](http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2013/04/09/2013040900381.html). Stability is a good business environment. BG, I think it means that so long as stability is not too threatened the Chinese government will not pressure NK too much. But business trumps good feelings and there is pressure that China can bring to bear. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-china-moving-troops-to-the-korean-border/654855/46 "2013-04-10T02:14:44Z")
> [@David\_H\_Singanas](#): > > “Monty” and “Even Sven” are long on negativity and short on ideas for China > options. I chuckle that Sven has said “China is not interested [in régime change].” > Does he have a seat next to Xi Jinping ? I had to give up my seat politburo because the meetings interfere with my skee-ball league, so now I have to make my predictions the old fashioned way- by analyzing past behavior and current conditions. China’s “non-Chinese” provinces are an unending headache for them, and are an enormous distraction from their main objective of economic development. Furthermore, China’s goodwill in Africa and elsewhere relies heavily on their reputation as being non-interventionist. Their whole selling point is that unlike the US, they aren’t going to be muttering about “regime change” or anything like that- they just want to do business. Getting too involved in North Korea would lose a lot of hard-won goodwill elsewhere. It would also fire up the Chinese nationalists, which is always a pain in the butt for the Party. Taking an active role in North Korea is just an invitation to a lot of unneeded problems. China will need to show they can protect their borders, Other than that, they’d probably prefer to step back. If someone has to be an aggressor, they’d rather it be us, so that we end up with the responsibility and all the flack. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-china-moving-troops-to-the-korean-border/654855/47 "2013-04-10T06:15:37Z")
> [@Darth\_Ayebaw](#): > > **Why is China moving troops to the Korean border?** It’s the malnourished, growth-stunted, mentally-deficient chicks, man . . . there’s just something about them . . . ---
**Author:** ![David\_H\_Singanas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac8455/32.png) [@David\_H\_Singanas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_H_Singanas)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-china-moving-troops-to-the-korean-border/654855/48 "2013-04-10T11:06:50Z")
Sven, thanks for these insightful remarks. I think you are a reliable source. But don’t forget that someone at the the top sent an aircraft carrier to the Senkakus, and that those rocks serve Nippon in the “buffer state” role which “Monty” finds so obsolete and unnecessary. > [@even\_sven](#): > > I had to give up my seat politburo because the meetings interfere with my skee-ball league, so now I have to make my predictions the old fashioned way- by analyzing past behavior and current conditions. > > China’s “non-Chinese” provinces are an unending headache for them, and are an enormous distraction from their main objective of economic development. Furthermore, China’s goodwill in Africa and elsewhere relies heavily on their reputation as being non-interventionist. Their whole selling point is that unlike the US, they aren’t going to be muttering about “regime change” or anything like that- they just want to do business. Getting too involved in North Korea would lose a lot of hard-won goodwill elsewhere. It would also fire up the Chinese nationalists, which is always a pain in the butt for the Party. Taking an active role in North Korea is just an invitation to a lot of unneeded problems. > > China will need to show they can protect their borders, Other than that, they’d probably prefer to step back. If someone has to be an aggressor, they’d rather it be us, so that we end up with the responsibility and all the flack. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-china-moving-troops-to-the-korean-border/654855/49 "2013-04-10T11:12:09Z")
> [@David\_H\_Singanas](#): > > “Monty” finds so obsolete and unnecessary. Care to translate that into English? ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-china-moving-troops-to-the-korean-border/654855/50 "2013-04-10T13:59:47Z")
> [@David\_H\_Singanas](#): > > Sven, thanks for these insightful remarks. I think you are a reliable source. So, people you like are “insightful” and “reliable” and people you don’t like are not. Gotcha. Look, both **Monty** and **even sven** have made essentially the same point - China is uninterested in 19th century style imperial ventures, thought they did make the same point in different ways. But you’re concluding one is insightful and the other isn’t? Be consistent, Sideshow Bob! > [@Monty](#): > > Care to translate that into English? Or what he said. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-china-moving-troops-to-the-korean-border/654855.md?page=2)