Will China save North Korea again?

If China is forced to intervene militarily to save North Korea again, this move by China will not be to support leader Kim Jong-un.

That is the opinion of sociologist Salvatore Babones of the University of Sydney, in an article for Al Jazeera on April 17, 2017.

According to sociologist Salvatore Babones, China is a major ally of the DPRK, but the Sino-DPRK relationship is currently experiencing many problems. North Korea is increasingly becoming a rather troublesome partner for China, and the patience of the leadership in Beijing seems to have its limits.

Korean War I

China sent troops to fight in the Korean War of 1950-53, with the slogan "aid Korea, resist America".

In 1950, China sent nearly 3 million troops to "support Korea and fight against the US". Photo: Pinterest

In 1950, China sent nearly 3 million troops to “support Korea and fight the US” and suffered about 180,000 casualties in the war. All this happened just one year after the civil war in mainland China ended in 1949.

Initially, China did not participate in the DPRK's offensive to liberate the south. However, Beijing was forced to intervene militarily after the United Nations army led by US General Douglas MacArthur defeated the North Korean army and advanced close to the Chinese border. This forced China to send nearly 3 million volunteer troops to "aid Korea, fight the US", pushing the US-led coalition back to the 38th parallel, the current dividing line between North Korea and South Korea.

Long-standing historical relationship

The Sino-North Korean relationship has a long history, spanning centuries, and is not limited to the current relationship between the two socialist countries. The DPRK is not a “colony” of Beijing, but its history has always been closely linked to China. Pyongyang has never been completely independent of Beijing economically and politically.

But the Kim Jong-un regime has become such a nuisance to China that the current leadership in Beijing may be losing patience. In late February 2017, China banned coal imports from North Korea, a move welcomed by US President Donald Trump. Now, things seem to be getting worse.

There were unconfirmed reports that China had sent 150,000 troops to the Sino-North Korean border. Although it called the reports “completely fabricated,” China abruptly suspended flights between Beijing and Pyongyang shortly afterward without providing any explanation.

It is unclear whether China is prepared to intervene in North Korea again to deal with possible military action by the US-South Korea coalition?

Northeastern China has taken in thousands of North Koreans. Only a few are refugees, most are people who have come to China to find work.

If another military conflict were to break out on the Korean Peninsula, China would face a massive wave of North Korean refugees flooding across its border.

China does not want another war on the Korean Peninsula. But the last thing China wants is a unified Korean Peninsula under South Korean leadership.

China's leadership learned many lessons between 1989 and 1991, when German reunification finally pushed NATO's borders some 1,000 km east, with the collapse of the Soviet Union.

If forced to intervene in the DPRK, China's goal would not be to overthrow the regime in Pyongyang and promote peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula.

China's goal is to prevent the collapse of the regime in Pyongyang under US pressure: leader Kim Jong-un may go, but China will ensure that the Pyongyang regime survives.

According to Kienthuc.net.vn