PLA prepares border plan for North Korean collapse

Staff Reporter 2014-05-04 16:58 (GMT+8)

China has formed numerous special teams as part of an emergency plan to deal with the aftermath of a potential collapse of North Korea's political regime, reports the Tokyo-based Kyodo News.

Citing internal Chinese military documents compiled last summer — several months after North Korea conducted its third nuclear test in February — Kyodo News claims that the People's Liberation Army has called for boosting surveillance capabilities across the China-North Korea border in the event that a collapse of Kim Jong-un's regime will spark a massive influx of refugees into China.

The measures reportedly include setting up numerous teams at the border, including a "reconnaissance team" responsible for collecting intelligence, an "inspection team" to investigate new arrivals, a "blockade team" to stop dangerous or undesirable persons from entering, and a "firepower team" to counter oppositional forces.

To cope with a potential influx of North Korean refugees, including as a result of an attack on North Korea by foreign forces, the documents recommend setting up camps with a capacity of 1,500 people each along the border. Any important North Korean political or military figures should be given protection but should also be monitored to prevent them from carrying out activities inimical to China's interests, the documents added.

According to the documents, another scenario envisages a "military power" like the United States crossing the border on a pretext such as "countering terrorism." In such a situation diplomatic negotiations would be preferred, but should they fail, China must consider other options such as closing the border or carrying out cyberattacks to disrupt information networks, the documents said.

The documents do not mention North Korea by name but refer to it using non-specific names such as "our country's northeastern neighbor," Kyodo News said.

http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-s...20140504000102