By Shannon Tiezzi
A leaked document purports to contain China’s plan in the event of regime collapse in North Korea.
On Saturday, the Japanese agency Kyodo Newspublished what it claimed was a contingency plan for North Koreans collapse issued by China’s People’s Liberation Army. The document was reportedly published last summer by the Chinese military and contained a plan for China’s response to extreme chaos in its neighbor. Daily NK had a detailed run-down of the document’s contents.
The document calls for an increase in surveillance along the border, including “‘reconnaissance groups’ to assess the situation, ‘investigation groups’ to question those who come into [China], ‘blockade groups’ that prevent the influx of threats, and ‘armed groups’ to defend against hostile powers.” There are also plans to set up a number of refugee camps in the border region to handle an expected influx of North Koreans.
The document also dealt with the possibility of “key figures” (North Korean military and political leaders) attempting to regroup within China’s borders. “Key figures must be moved to a separate investigation facility to ensure they cannot command any military activity nor band together with other forces” within China, the document recommended. It also mentioned the need to protect such people from assassination attempts.
Read the full story at The Diplomat