Chinese Paper Says China Should Stay Neutral If North Korea Attacks First
Source: Reuters
BEIJING (Reuters) - If North Korea launches an attack that threatens the United States then China should stay neutral, but if the United States attacks first and tries to overthrow North Korea's government China will stop them, a Chinese state-run newspaper said on Friday.
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"It needs to make clear its stance to all sides and make them understand that when their actions jeopardize China's interests, China will respond with a firm hand," said the paper, which does not represent government policy.
"China should also make clear that if North Korea launches missiles that threaten U.S. soil first and the U.S. retaliates, China will stay neutral," it added.
"If the U.S. and South Korea carry out strikes and try to overthrow the North Korean regime and change the political pattern of the Korean Peninsula, China will prevent them from doing so."
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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-missiles-china-media-idUSKBN1AR005
Midnight Writer
(22,715 posts)Purveyor
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The widely read state-run Global Times, published by the ruling Communist Party's official People's Daily, wrote in an editorial that Beijing is not able to persuade either Washington or Pyongyang to back down.
"If the US and South Korea carry out strikes and try to overthrow the North Korean regime and change the political pattern of the Korean Peninsula, China will prevent them from doing so."
China has long worried that any conflict on the Korean peninsula, or a repeat of the 1950-53 Korean War, could unleash a wave of destabilising refugees into its northeast, and could end up with a reunified county allied with the United States.
North Korea is a useful buffer state for China between it and US forces based in South Korea, and also across the sea in Japan.
The G lobal Timessaid China will "firmly resist any side which wants to change the status quo of the areas where China's interests are concerned".
"The Korean Peninsula is where the strategic interests of all sides converge, and no side should try to be the absolute dominator of the region."
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https://www.qt.com.au/news/china-will-defend-north-korea/3211438/
Warpy
(112,821 posts)In addition, the last thing they want is millions of NK refugees pouring over the border---and they would.
I strongly suspect L'il Kim is feeling the weight of a Chinese boot on his neck about now.
ansible
(1,718 posts)The uncle that Kim executed with anti-aicraft guns in 2013 was very pro-China, which is why he was eliminated.
mdbl
(5,200 posts)He's just too crazy. Kinda like another so-called leader I know.