re: #112 Guanxi88

Too great a risk for China; hundreds of thousands of starved, heavily-armed NorKs fed a steady diet of Juche propaganda since about 1945, this is not a pleasant prospect for China at the moment. They just gotta keep them on a leash till they can figure out what to do about them, is all. Sad thing is, there’s nothing to do but keep dumping rice and fuel in to keep the population (barely) alive; all they can do is prolong the agony.

If things got any worse in NK, the flood of refugees into China would be unstoppable, and would certainly de-stabilize China. At all costs, this has to be prevented.

Guanxi88 -

If the DPRK regime folded tomorrow, wouldn’t you think the flow would be more towards their brothers in the ROK? The basic thing the Chinese don’t want is the US Military on the Yalu River. I don’t think we want to be there either - Korean and Chinese Customs Officials would be enough in this new state of affairs. If the Chinese were less paranoid on this issue they would be positive towards Korean Reunification. The costs of reunification will be borne mainly by the ROK - much like it was by West Germany - and like Germany - will keep the ROK busy and out of China’s hair for years to come.

-S-