Chinese troops could reach Pyongyang in 2 hours

China is stepping up the mobility of its troops stationed in areas bordering North Korea in preparation for contingencies in the North, Japan’s Asahi Shimbun reported Sunday.

Asahi quoted an unnamed Chinese military officer as saying that “we are stepping up our military mobility.”

If contingencies happen in North Korea, Chinese troops could reach Pyongyang, the capital, in just two hours, the officer said.

According to Asahi, a Chinese military think tank has activated a Korean Peninsula crisis management team since 2007 when North Korean leader Kim Jong-il’s health began to show signs of deterioration. Kim died of heart failure on Dec. 17 last year at the age of 69.

The team came out with a report in 2010, the newspaper said.

The report described the Korean Peninsula as an important place that is (closely) related to China’s security.

It said it is important not to prompt North Korea to make any provocation, thus ensuring peace and stability on the peninsula.

The report asked the Chinese military to collect information on the North Korean regime which is totally closed to the outside world, and strengthen measures to prevent China’s northeastern region from being plunged into confusion resulting from possible misinformation provided by media and Internet outlets.

Noting that North Korea’s nuclear weapons programs may lead to war on the peninsula, the report stressed that in case of contingencies, top priorities should be placed on the prevention of nuclear proliferation.

Asahi said the alliance between China and North Korea was cracked after the latter’s two nuclear tests, but the two countries have enjoyed close ties since the second half of 2009.

However, China has refused to conduct joint military exercises with North Korea and sell its J-10, a domestically developed third-generation fighter jet, it said.

The newspaper said Beijing and Pyongyang have maintained ties, but distrust between the militaries of the two nations remains deep. 


http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/special/2012/01/182_103530.html