How is China preparing for a contingency in North Korea? What forces would be available to respond to a contingency, and what might those operations look like in different scenarios? Testifying before the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission last Thursday, Oriana Skylar Mastro described how Beijing is most likely to act if such a scenario broke out. China’s People’s Armed Police and border security would likely be responsible for securing the border and handling refugees. This frees up the People’s Liberation Army to engage in more traditional military operations within North Korea. The most important thing to remember is that China is looking out for its own interests, whether at the negotiating table or on the battlefield, and not those of the United States. Smart policy can mitigate the risks of Chinese involvement and exploit the benefits, but Chinese “cooperation” always comes at a price. Read her prepared remarks.
BY ASIA TIMES STAFF
Twitter rant aside, the Chinese yuan's exchange rate versus the dollar has roughly doubled over the past 25 years
Derek Scissors | War on the Rocks
The United States will not accept another decade of a much-larger China warping competition in its home market while demanding open markets overseas. It will not tolerate another decade of China mining the relationship for resources to seize technological leadership. The economic relationship will shrink. We’re just arguing about timing.