150,000 Chinese troops sent to North Korean border

Troops of China's People's Liberation Army

South Korean media are reporting that an additional 150,000 Chinese soldiers have been sent to China's border with North Korea. Google translates the page thus:

As the United States announced its independent North Korean behavior and moved the United States Navy's nuclear-powered Calvinus (CVN-70) carrier class to Singapore, the Chinese army has deployed about 150,000 troops in two groups, "The report said. It is because of the prospect of taking "military options", such as preemptive attacks on North Korea, just as the United States has launched an air raid on Syria. ...

There is an observation that medical and back-up support units will be dispatched to "train for North Korean refugees," the newspaper added

What this means is that when President Trump sent 60 cruise missiles against Syria's Sharyat airfield, the Chinese very soon took seriously the possibility that an attack could be made against North Korea's atomic-weapons program unless Kim Jong Un, the North's dictator, backs down peacefully.

The additional troops are almost certainly to prevent floods of North Korean refugees from crossing into China if there is a military strike against the DPRK's nuclear program. China has long had to contend with thousands of refugees annually refugees from the DPRK. Many are killed or die making the attempt. China has a mixed record at best of turning over successful escapees to North Korea. Amnesty International reported in 2012,

Chinese authorities forcibly returns North Korean refugees back to North Korea where they face risk to their lives. By its actions, it intimidates North Korean refugees and those who are helping them in China. China refuses to give access to the UN refugee agency, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Those individuals apprehended by Chinese border police and North Korean authorities in China are reportedly detained in China for several days and then forcibly returned to their country where they are at risk of punishment including arbitrary detention, forced labor, and in some cases, the death penalty for leaving the country without authorization.

Meanwhile,

China's top nuclear envoy arrived in Seoul Monday for talks on the North Korean threat, as the United States sent the naval strike group to the region and signalled it may act to shut down Pyongyang's weapons program.

Speculation of an imminent nuclear test is brewing as the North marks major anniversaries including the 105th birthday of its founding leader on Saturday - sometimes celebrated with a demonstration of military might.

Wu Dawei, China's Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Affairs, met with his South Korean counterpart on Monday to discuss the nuclear issue.

Voice of America reports that China and South Korea have come to an agreement: "South Korea, China Agree on Action to End North Korea Nuclear Threat."

WASHINGTON — South Korea and China say they have agreed they will take strong action against North Korea if Pyongyang conducts more nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests.

The top nuclear envoys from North Korea's neighbors, Kim Hong-kyun and Wu Dawei, discussed the latest developments Monday in Seoul.

South Korea is in a pickle. A nuclear-armed North is a much graver threat to the South than ever. But the South cannot try to match the North a-bomb for a-bomb because its leaders realize that nuclearizing the both countries raises the risk of confrontation even higher. Why? The initiation of such a program would only increase the chance that Kim Jong Un would be more motivated to strike sooner rather than later.

Nor is the South altogether comfortable with the idea of a pre-emptive strike against the North.
South Korea's Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo said Monday the repercussions of a potential military response were worrying.

'Pre-emptive strikes may be aimed at resolving North Korea's nuclear problems, but for us, it is also related to defending the safety of the public,' he told reporters.

While a US unilateral strike on North Korea from a shorter range might be more effective, it would likely endanger many civilians in the South and risk triggering a broader military conflict, experts warn.

In a conventional war with the North, casualties would be enormous in the South. I explained many of the reasons why back in 2010, and the reasons have not changed - yet. If the North gets nukes, the potential for truly mass death will be very great.