Beijing firms up military ties with North Korea while backing ‘smooth transition’
Special to WorldTribune.com
By Willy Lam, East-Asia-Intel.com
The future of the post-Kim Jong-Il North Korea lies in the hands of the military, the only force capable of shoring up stability in the abjectly poor Stalinist regime. And it is a testimony of the sagacity of the Chinese Communist Party administration’s Korean specialists that Beijing started boosting ties with DPRK generals since news first emerged about the poor health of the “Dear Leader” in 2008.
Kim Jong-Un greets military leaders after paying his respects to his father Kim Jong-Il, at the Kumsusan Memorial Palace in Pyongyang. / Reuters
While Pyongyang’s National Defense Commission and other military units immediately proclaimed their loyalty to the “Great Successor,” Kim Jong-Un, it is no secret that the 28-year-old “boy emperor” could only be a transitional, puppet-like figure.
Beijing’s strategy has been to firm up the “lips-and-teeth” relationship between the People’s Liberation Army and the DPRK forces. Only this will ensure the pro-China tilt of the new regime and prevent the uncontrollable influx of refugees into northeastern China that will result from the break-up of the Hermit Kingdom.
It is understood that after the period of mourning is over, Beijing will swiftly send a Politburo-level official to Pyongyang to reassure the Kim Jong-Un regime of continued — and possibly augmented — economic, fuel and other kinds of support. Beijing will continue to look the other way as far as observation of UN-imposed sanctions on the DPRK is concerned.
Read full text.
