China Prepares For "Regime Collapse" In North Korea

[BlueStateSaint]

Off of ZeroHedge.  Plus, a NoKo 'response' . . . Emphasis in original.

China Prepares For "Regime Collapse" In North Korea

by Tyler Durden

Feb 23, 2017 9:31 AM

Over the weekend, following reports that China has banned all North Korean coal imports - in the aftermath of last week's North Korean ballistic missile launch- which marked a troubling escalation in relations between the two formerly "amicable" nations, we discussed how China was tipping its hand that not only was Kim Jong-Un potentially losing a "very big ally", but that it could also lead to "jeopady" for his regime, and a potential political coup in the generally unstable dictatorship.

Now, it appears that the likelihood of a regime collapse in North Korea is being taken seriously by none other than the country's formerly largest trading partner, China, which as SCMP reports, "will take the necessary measures to safeguard national security in the event of the collapse of the neighbouring North Korean regime", a defence official said on Thursday.

The recent assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s half-brother Kim Jong-nam has sparked renewed concerns over the stability of Pyongyang and the possibility of a collapse of the reclusive regime, SCMP adds.

Beijing, long seen as the guarantor of Pyongyang’s security, had mostly largely silent on the incident. However in the aftermath of the abrupt coal import suspension, Chinese officials no longer had the luxury of avoiding the topic.

Asked whether China had a contingency plan for a North Korean collapse, defence ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang said Beijing has maintained its usual policy towards Pyongyang, and urged the “relevant parties to refrain from any actions that will escalate tensions”.

The rest of the piece is at:  http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-02-23/china-prepares-regime-collapse-north-korea

Seeing that China is a lot closer to the situation, I'd have to go with their 'characterization' of the 'problem.'  And, in response, . . .

North Korea Mocks China for ‘Dancing to U.S. Tune’

Pyongyang appears to have lashed out at Beijing in unusually pointed rhetoric

By
Jonathan Cheng in Seoul and Chun Han Wong in Beijing

Updated Feb. 23, 2017 10:15 a.m. ET

 72 COMMENTS   
 
North Korea appeared to lash out at Beijing in a state-media commentary published Thursday, aiming unusually pointed rhetoric at a powerful neighbor that Pyongyang has long relied on for economic and diplomatic support.

The commentary, published by the state-controlled Korean Central News Agency, didn’t name China but left little doubt about its target: “a neighboring country, which often claims itself to be a ‘friendly neighbor’.”

The article lambasted China for playing down North Korea’s nuclear capabilities and for curbing foreign trade—an apparent reference to China’s weekend announcement that it would suspend coal imports from North Korea for the rest of the year.

North Korea is heavily reliant on its giant neighbor for trade, while China sees North Korea as a buffer against South Korea and Japan, both U.S. allies.

But Beijing’s patience wore thin after Pyongyang conducted a series of nuclear and ballistic-missile tests last year, prompting China to back fresh United Nations sanctions in November that target North Korea’s coal exports.

The rest of this one is here:  https://www.wsj.com/articles/north-korea-mocks-china-for-dancing-to-u-s-tune-1487852124

Methinks that ol' Kim Jong Un is not long for this world.  And, the Chinese are the leading ones to 'deal with him.'

[DumbAss Tanker]

From the standpoint of the North Korean people, even a Chinese takeover would be an improvement.  As much as the South and many people in the North would like reunification, I don't see the Chinese as being willing to accept a border with a unified Korea run by the South as acceptable, and in many ways it would not be all that great an idea for a free and unified Korea to have a common border with China.  Pretty sure whatever happens will be something that makes everyone unhappy.

[HAPPY2BME]

From the standpoint of the North Korean people, even a Chinese takeover would be an improvement.  As much as the South and many people in the North would like reunification, I don't see the Chinese as being willing to accept a border with a unified Korea run by the South as acceptable, and in many ways it would not be all that great an idea for a free and unified Korea to have a common border with China.  Pretty sure whatever happens will be something that makes everyone unhappy.

===================================

Correct on the part of China not wanting a N/S Korea reunification.  China props up NK for one reason, and that is for a buffer from SK.

I was in SK the night President Park was assassinated in 1979, and we were all positive we were going to war with China the next day.  Everyone knows NK cannot defeat SK on it's own, but if it does attack SK, China has no alternative other than to join NK in the attack.

Many do not know it, but the closest this world has come to global nuclear warfare was in 1979 when President Park was assassinated.  At that time, the (then) Soviet Union (with their full nuclear arsenal) was fully behind NK as well.