China’s military has initiated a number of measures in preparation for a possible regime collapse in North Korea, a leaked military document suggests.
Japan’s Kyodo News said Saturday it had obtained a document published last summer detailing increased surveillance along selected border areas in
tandem with the dispatch of a number of military personnel. The establishment of camps was similarly floated as a potential measure to cope with a large influx of refugees, the article claimed.
North Korea is not explicitly named in the document, but is referred to as “our country’s northeastern neighbor,” and “the country next door with the
hereditary system.”
“As foreign shows of force are out of our control, a
situation could arise whereby our country faces an influx of military
units via the border regions. There is concern that this circumstance could
allow a foothold of resistance to form among refugees
and breakaway soldiers,” the document allegedly stated.
Moreover, “Under these circumstances teams must be dispatched
to border regions 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.”
It was further suggested that camps able to house a maximum of 1500 people each be established at various locations along the border, with a protection mechanism in place to prevent the assassination of key military and
political figures.
“Key figures must be moved to a separate investigation facility to ensure they cannot command any military activity nor band together with
other forces [already in China],” the document continued.
The report is as yet unverified.
