China is readying its 880-mile border with North Korea with more reinforcements in the light of recent developments with North Korea, which launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) earlier this month.
China’s actions to prepare the border include 24-hour video surveillance, aerial drone coverage, a new border defense brigade and bunkers, according to websites, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The Wall Street Journal recently reviewed military documents and government sites, as well as interviews with those who have studied China’s military preparations, and the evidence is there to support that “Beijing has implemented many of the changes in recent months after initiating them last year,” it reported Monday.
“China’s military has also merged, moved and modernized other units in border regions and released details of recent drills there with special forces, airborne troops and other units that experts say could be sent into North Korea in a crisis,” the Journal reported. “They include a live-fire drill in June by helicopter gunships and one in July by an armored infantry unit recently transferred from eastern China and equipped with new weaponry.”
China’s actions seemingly align with President Donald Trump’s warning that the United States could prepare for military action against North Korea. The U.S. has also put the pressure on China to do more to curtail Kim Jong Un and Pyongyang.
China’s Defense Ministry did not respond directly about the recent changes, but said in a written statement that forces “maintain a normal state of combat readiness and training” at borders, the Journal reported; China has denied other reports of additional troops being sent to borders.
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